| GOPC Updates Policy Platform in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic |
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Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released a revised Public Policy Platform for 2020-2021, "Building a Greater Ohio".
Through advocacy, research, outreach, and education, GOPC strives to create a policy and political climate that allows communities to stabilize and thrive for statewide economic growth. It is imperative that state policymakers be well informed about the issues and opportunities facing Ohio. GOPC previously released its policy platform in February. However, 2020 has been a period of unprecedented challenges for Ohio and the nation. Each month has seemingly presented a new crisis. But out of those challenges are opportunities—opportunities for reform and growth to build a Greater Ohio. To that end, GOPC has reexamined our policy platform and has made several revisions in response to the challenged presented by the coronavirus pandemic. |
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 | Updated in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the revised policy platform is available on our website. |
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GOPC remains committed to our long-standing policy commitments, with focus on three priority areas, including: - Investing in Brownfields
- Innovating Infrastructure & Transportation
- Empowering Ohio's Legacy Cities
Through this revised policy platform, GOPC is also focusing on emerging issues which have arisen as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and will be vital to protecting Ohioans and our cities, including: - Preserve Long-Term City Investments: Now is not the time to change how income taxes are collected in Ohio. Ohio’s income tax structure has been in place for over six decades and municipal governments have built their entire approach to investing in businesses and residents around this model. Maintaining a suspension of the ‘20-day Rule’ is vital for cities and helps to ensure all Ohioans are able to safely limit the spread of the coronavirus.
- Protect Ohio Families Through Housing: Stable homes help create stable neighborhoods and communities. While eviction and foreclosure moratoriums delayed displacement, thousands of Ohioans are at risk of losing their homes. Rental assistance programs for low-and-medium income households and providing access to low-rate, patient, risk-tolerant capital are important steps Ohio must take to not only protect families and neighborhoods, but help restart and maintain our economy.
The the full policy platform is available on our website as well as being available in a downloadable PDF format. |
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| Rebuilding Ohio Coalition Lanched With Platform To Ensure Ohio Thrives Post-Pandemic |
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Over the past few months, GOPC has highlighted the innovative and strategic ways communities throughout Ohio are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. These strategies have largely focused on protecting residents and business, utilizing these tools for crisis management efforts. While this crisis management is far from over, it is crucial that policymakers begin to think about how recovery will look. Ohio’s Main Streets, neighborhoods, businesses, employees, and residents will be foundational blocks to revitalizing Ohio’s communities and economies. To lead Ohio into this recovery, a statewide coalition of Ohio’s economic and community development nonprofits have joined together to form the Rebuilding Ohio Coalition. GOPC is proud to join this coalition alongside other statewide organizations that, collectively, represent 325 community and economic development nonprofits, and serve hundreds of small businesses and thousands of families. Rebuilding Ohio has established a platform that provides policymakers with a blueprint for sensible policy solutions that can be adopted to ensure Ohio’s families, small businesses, and neighborhoods thrive in the post-pandemic world. |
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 | To learn more about the blueprint for sensible policy solutions that can be adopted to ensure Ohio thrives in a post-pandemic world, visit Rebuilding Ohio at www.rebuildingohio.org |
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The Rebuilding Ohio platform offers a series of policy recommendations for state policymakers, which focus on three policy areas: FORTIFY OHIO’S SMALL BUSINESSES AND MAIN STREETS. Ohio’s cities and towns are all unique, thanks to their local businesses and merchants, as well as their beautiful downtowns and commercial corridors in. The Coalition’s four recommendations help local leaders retain and support local businesses and the heart of their communities. EMPOWER OHIO’S FAMILIES THROUGH HOUSING, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND FOOD SECURITY. Working families are especially hard hit by the pandemic; the Coalition’s six recommendations provide a comprehensive approach that stabilizes families and improves the quality of life in marginalized communities. STEWARD RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY AND BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY. With so few resources available and need so great, it is imperative that every dollar is stretched to the maximum. The Coalition offers three commonsense recommendations to ensure communities use state and federal investments strategically and building expertise at the same time.
To read the full platform, and to learn more about the Rebuilding Ohio Coalition, follow the coalition on Twitter @RebuildOhio and visit: www.rebuildingohio.org. |
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| CARES Act Dollars Coming to Your Community |
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Ohioans experiencing job and income loss are struggling to keep up with rent and utility payments. Another federal stimulus package is caught in political crosshairs. The state talks about allocating CARES Act resources to support these Ohioans but has not yet made it happen. But, on October 1, House Bill 614 was signed by the Governor, sending an additional $650 million in relief payments to nearly every county, city, village, and township in Ohio.
Join the Ohio Poverty Law Center on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 1:30 pm to learn how these funds can be used in your community to help with rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, and other supporting services. |
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You will learn how the money will be distributed, what it can be used for, and how to advocate in your community. The webinar will also highlight communities that are already investing CARES Act dollars in programs to support families.
Registering at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6310958559548726800 to attend.
The webinar is hosted by the Ohio Poverty Law Center and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. |
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| | GOPC Brings Back Candidate Questions for 2020 Election |
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Two years ago, GOPC posted a series of questions for candidates for statewide office in Ohio as we looked towards a new beginning for the state with the election of a new Governor and General Assembly. With our updated policy platform as a guide, GOPC has once again posted a series of questions that we believe candidates should have answers for going into the 2020 election. |
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We are living through an unprecedented time period which will create many challenges - and opportunities - for Ohio's legacy communities. Responding to this crisis has required leadership at all levels – federal, state and local. That is why is important as we head into the 2020 election season that policymakers at the local, state and national level be well informed about the issues and opportunities facing Ohio. What follows, is a series of questions that GOPC believes candidates should have answers for going into the 2020 election. The candidate questions are available on our website as well as being available in a downloadable PDF format.
Early voting began last week. Hours vary as we move closer to Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3. To learn more about early voting, visit our previous blog post. To request an absentee ballot, visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. |
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| McCarthy Joins GOPC Board |
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Keary McCarthy, Executive Director of the Ohio Mayors Alliance, has been elected to join the GOPC Board of Directors.
McCarthy previously served as Minority Chief of Staff at the Ohio House of Representatives. He previously held top policy and communications posts for the Speaker of the Ohio House, the 2008 Obama Presidential campaign in Ohio, and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. |
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Prior to his work in government, McCarthy served as communications director for ballot measures in 2005 on redistricting and election reform, and a successful effort in 2006 to increase Ohio’s minimum wage. McCarthy has a B.A. from Wittenberg University and an M.S. in Policy Analysis from Cleveland State University. |
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| CDC Eviction Moratorium Explained |
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In early September, the CDC ordered a temporary halt in residential evictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. In the sweeping declaration, the CDC recognized that keeping people housed and preventing evictions is a vital social distancing measure and an integral part of any health strategy to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The order, which became effective on September 4, 2020, makes clear that a landlord shall not evict any qualifying person from any residential property through December 31, 2020 for nonpayment of rent. While this order is extraordinarily broad, protecting as many as 40 million Americans that are struggling to make ends meet, it is also a measured response to extraordinary circumstances.
Recently, Carlie J. Boos, Esq., Executive Director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio wrote a guest blog explaining the moratorium in detail, which is available on our website. |
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Have you seen our #GOPC Threads? |
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Every Thursday at noon, GOPC posts a Twitter thread about a smart growth or revitalization topic. You can read our #GOPCThread on twitter or on our blog.
ICYMI, here are some our our recent threads.
October 8: A guest thread from our partners at the Rebuilding Ohio Coalition
October 2: Outlining the need for property tax relief for long-term property owners |
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September 25: A closer look at GOPCs updated policy platform & candidate questions
September 17: Ohio Community Spotlight on Sandusky |
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