Ohio Poverty Law Center
Groups introduce tracker for Ohio’s COVID funds and suggestions for remaining dollars
Researchers with the Ohio Poverty Law Center and Advocates for Ohio’s Future have built an online tool to track how state and local governments are spending COVID relief dollars. They also have a few ideas for the nearly $2 billion Ohio has left over. Last year’s American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, sent more than $10 […]
Bipartisan bill would allow expungement of Ohioans’ eviction records
When a tenant faces eviction, the filing can stay with them for years — potentially impacting their ability to find stable housing again. A bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Stephanie Kunze, R-Hilliard, and Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, proposes to allow eviction records to be expunged under certain circumstances. A tenant would be able to request to […]
State budget must provide adequate resources to fully implement new Medicaid managed care contract
Ohio is on the brink of making historic changes to its Medicaid program. For the first time since 2012, the Department of Medicaid is renegotiating its contracts with private insurance companies that are tasked with administering most of the state’s health care program for low-income residents. If these changes are fully implemented then vulnerable Ohioans, […]
Legislation seeks to provide internet access in unserved areas of Ohio
Ohio legislators are making quick work on the issue of broadband expansion so far in 2021, with the goal of providing internet access to all areas of the state. A Republican-led effort is already seeing progress during the new legislative term. On Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill to finance […]
Extend eviction moratorium to slow covid spread, advocates say
Ohio’s local courts should stop eviction proceedings, a group that advocates for the poor said Tuesday. Not only are thousands of Ohioans going to be forced out of their homes in the dead of winter, the proceedings and the evictions will make the covid crisis worse, they say. The coronavirus pandemic has hit low-income Americans […]
Ohio leaders must address poverty and homelessness for public health response to succeed
Rent was due on Tuesday and many Ohioans will be unable to pay because of a slowly unfolding recession that, according to the World Bank, may be the worst since World War II. Congress appears less and less likely to extend assistance to unemployed families while Gov. Mike DeWine has yet to prop up Ohio’s […]
DeWine says coronavirus fight has to take priority over safety net
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday said that with limited resources, he'd have to prioritize fighting the disease over helping low-income Ohioans facing increasingly desperate circumstances. Some advocates for the poor said, however, said that is a false choice; that the more unstable vulnerable Ohioans become, the tougher it will be to check the spread of COVID-19.
As Ohio economy reopens, state has no answers for many of the working poor
Cases of and deaths from coronavirus continued to rise in Ohio Wednesday as state leaders begin a phased reopening of workplaces. That leaves low-income workers who are older, have compromised health or who have day care issues with a dilemma: either go back to work and risk getting sick or stay home and lose unemployment […]