Local Politics
Policy shifts affecting housing and neighborhoods.
Columbus Opens Free Turf Hours at Kilbourne Run After Fee Fight
Northland's $34.4M Kilbourne Run Sports Park opened after Columbus dropped a $250 turf-rental minimum and posted free walk-up hours on named fields instead.
Ohio Opens $45.6M Welcome Home Round for Columbus Nonprofits
Ohio opened a new $45.6M Welcome Home grant round today — $22.8M for foreclosure purchases and $22.8M for rehab and new construction — with Columbus nonprofits and Franklin County eligible to apply.
Columbus Housing Goal Is a Target, Not a Measured Deficit
Columbus leaders set a regional goal of 200,000 homes over 10 years, but the figure should not be presented as a proven annual shortage.
M/I Homes Withdraws Heath Hills as Annexation Debate Continues
M/I Homes withdrew the Heath Hills proposal after conflict over development and school boundaries, while Ohio Senate Bill 173 remains pending in committee.
Columbus Stops New Courthouse Plan and Turns to Renovation
Columbus stopped its new municipal courthouse project after the mayor cited a cost above $335 million, but the replacement renovation still lacks a public scope.
Franklin County Tentative Home Values Rise About 10%
Franklin County posted tentative 2026 parcel values averaging about 10% higher for residences and opened an informal review process.
Columbus Begins Deploying $500 Million Housing Bond
Columbus voters approved a $500 million affordable-housing bond in 2025. The city has begun funding rounds, but the authorization is not 500 million new construction.
Zone In Adds Capacity, Not 88,000 Built Columbus Homes
Columbus says the first Zone In rezoning could support up to 88,000 homes, but that figure measures theoretical capacity rather than approvals or construction.