Habitat staff Drew Hall (VP & Chief Development Officer) and Marissa Little (VP & Chief Program Officer) attended the Habitat Ohio Statehouse Build and Advocacy Day in Columbus on April 26, 2023.
Sharing our thanks for their support of the $25 Million in ARPA funds awarded to Habitat statewide, Drew and Marissa met with Senators Roegner and Sykes and Representatives Demetriou, Galonski, Roemer, Weinstein, and Young during the one day advocacy event. Members and staff of the Ohio legislature were also invited to help frame a Habitat for Humanity home on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse.
A special thanks to Representative Bill Roemer (Summit County, pictured below with Rochelle Sibbio, HFHSC President and CEO and Ryan Miller, HFHO State Director) for sponsoring the Sub Amendment to HB45 – providing statewide Habitat funding of $25 Million to support $15 Million in new construction and/or rehabilitation of existing homes; $9 Million in critical home repairs; and $1 Million to create a Habitat statewide apprentice program.
Drew and Marissa also discussed our work in each Senators and Representatives’ district, highlighting our Aging In Place Home Repair program, the 16-home build in Akron (named Silver Maple Ridge), and our expanding Neighborhood Network program now working with residents to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods throughout Summit County.
The meetings at the Statehouse inspired us to continue the conversation and invite members to visit our offices in Akron. We hosted Senator Sykes on May 26th and Representative Galonski on June 5th. It was great to showcase our new programming and discuss possible legislation to assist Habitat affiliates attain Property Tax Exemption in a more efficient way.
Representative Galonski