Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Homes Unveils New Affordable Housing Options on Columbus’ South Side

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Four new duplexes along Reeb Avenue intended to offer convenient and affordable housing options for families supported by The Reeb Center on Columbus' South Side were unveiled today at a special open house.

This $2.35 million project was made possible through City of Columbus grant funding, the South Side Renaissance Fund, and private funding. The South Side Renaissance Fund launched in 2018 to positively impact the South Side neighborhood through the acquisition, construction and permanent financing of affordable single-family and multifamily rental housing. It is a $20 million loan fund that has supported 142 rental properties in the South Side community.

The new rental units, constructed at the former site of the South Side Learning and Development Center at 255 Reeb Ave., offer more than 1,300 square feet of space, three bedrooms and 1½ baths per home. The units have been leased, and rent for the tenants will average approximately $920 per month compared to the average rental for similar properties around $1,400 per month, according to Healthy Homes, the affordable housing arm of Nationwide Children's Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative. Healthy Homes offers affordable home ownership, rental units and home repair services for low-to-moderate income families and is a partnership between Nationwide Children's and the nonprofit Community Development for All People.

"If we want to improve the health of children and families, we must invest in the neighborhoods where they live," said Nick Jones, vice president of community wellness at Nationwide Children's. "Families need access to stable and affordable housing to ensure the best health outcomes for their children. These new housing units will give families a place to call home, surrounded by support from The Reeb Center and the South Side community."

The Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative started in 2008 on the South Side to improve the overall health of communities by addressing factors including affordable housing, education, individual health and wellness, community enrichment and economic development. Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families expanded to include the Linden neighborhood in 2019. Healthy Homes has impacted 615 houses on the South Side and nearly 900 total.

"Today, we celebrate another special moment in our city's ongoing commitment to ensuring that every resident has access to safe and affordable housing," said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. "Affordable housing in Columbus is not just about a home; it is about families putting down roots in a supportive community that will help them achieve their goals and build a better future."

Healthy lives begin at home and in the neighborhood. Providing residents a place to call home surrounded by supportive services and community connections was the motivation behind the work invested by neighbors, leaders and organizations to make these new rental units possible.

"Thanks to these new duplexes, more South Side families will have a safe place to live, raise children, cook dinner, do homework, play and live healthier and happier lives," said Tanny Crane, president and chief executive officer of Crane Group and a member of the board of directors for the nonprofit Reeb Avenue Center.

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