Proponent Testimony — Amy Albery, Wallick Communities, House Bill 3 (Ohio, March 14, 2023)
Summary
Proponent testimony of Amy Albery, CEO of Wallick Communities, before the Economic and Workforce Development Committee on House Bill 3, dated March 14, 2023. The testimony states that Wallick develops, constructs, and manages affordable housing communities and owns or manages 200+ affordable communities in nine states across the Midwest. It states that Ohio does not have enough affordable housing and asks the committee to consider the passing of HB 3. Albery testifies on behalf of Wallick Communities and the Ohio Housing Council.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Proponent Testimony — Amy Albery, Wallick Communities, House Bill 3 (Ohio, March 14, 2023).”
Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-03-14-econ-workforce-dev-testimony-hb3amyalberyproponent-ab7923a05e/
, SHA-256 70e7d7668f57c20058bd9aecc1bb0d60e762318e40014b37696e1a5e78f74fc3.Full text
Economic and Workforce
Development Committee
House Bill 3 (Proponent Testimony)
Amy Albery – Wallick Communities
March 14, 2023
Chair Swearingen, Vice Chair Santucci, Ranking Member Upchurch, and
members of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee, I am Amy Albery,
CEO of Wallick Communities. Wallick is a privately-owned, Ohio-based company that
develops, constructs, and manages affordable housing communities as well as
independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities.
Wallick brings safe, affordable housing solutions to the market that strengthen
communities, connect people to resources, and open doors to opportunities. Built
upon five decades of industry knowledge and experience, Wallick helps low-income
families and seniors by working to solve the major crisis threatening the United States'
supply of decent, affordable housing. In addition to nine senior living communities in
Ohio, Wallick owns or manages 200+ affordable communities in nine states across
the Midwest and employs over 1,100 associates. As a for-profit organization with a
nonprofit mindset, Wallick has been ranked first in the nation for affordable housing
preservation.
On behalf of Wallick Communities and the Ohio Housing Council, thank you for
the opportunity to testify in support of House Bill 3. I am here today to share our
experiences as an owner, developer, builder, and property manager of affordable
housing – and what the passing of House Bill 3 would mean for Wallick and the
Ohioans it houses.
It's without a doubt that Central Ohio is flourishing. The State’s economy is
strong, the population is booming, and companies are expanding. Additionally, the Intel
project has brought a second wave of possibilities for Ohio, making us the envy of
communities across the nation. However, it all comes at a cost – and that cost is
families living out of their cars, college graduates returning to their parent's homes, and
adults with 3-4 roommates living in one apartment. All of this is because Ohio does not
have enough affordable housing.
To further visualize who these people are to you, it's your child's kindergarten
teacher, the maintenance technician at your apartment complex, and the police officer
that protects your neighborhood. These working individuals who build and strengthen
communities through their roles cannot afford housing.
Dozens of deals from several developers are unable to move forward due to lack
of resources. For Wallick, our recently submitted 50 unit 4% bond gap project in Marion
was not funded because we hit the limit on awards from OHFA, but there are many
other deals just like that in towns like Marion that could otherwise go forward with a
state credit.
We have seen first-hand that Ohio's housing crisis has gone beyond its
metropolitan areas and is now present in non-urban communities. A large percentage of
Wallick Communities properties are in rural areas. One of our more recent affordable
developments in Hillsboro, Ohio (population 6,605) is in the midst of lease-up and has
an extensive waitlist, which far exceeds the 56 homes we have available.
Some background on myself, I grew up on a 150-year-old dairy farm in
Alexandria, a rural town in Licking County – an area that's become the epicenter of the
Intel development. My mom and sister still live on the farm, now leased out to crop
farmers. Given my position as CEO of an affordable housing developer and my status
as a Licking County resident, I have unique insight into that area's dilemma. With
thousands of Intel workers and countless other suppliers bringing employees to Licking
County, the growing population and lack of housing is a concern for everyone.
You ask what Wallick Communities would do if House Bill 3 is passed. My
answer is simple – we would use the resources to create more affordable workforce
housing for the family that's living in their car, for the 25-year-old who's been ready to
leave the nest, and for the couple who wants to raise their children in the small town
where they grew up. Again, these are working individuals who have jobs and pay their
bills. They struggle because housing costs have soared beyond their income.
Therefore, Chair and members of the Economic and Workforce Development
Committee, I implore you to consider the passing of HB 3. Thank you for hearing me
today. I welcome all questions.
File and source
- File
- 2023-03-14_econ-workforce-dev_testimony_hb3amyalberyproponent.pdf
- Size
- 329,828 bytes
- SHA-256
- 70e7d7668f57c20058bd9aecc1bb0d60e762318e40014b37696e1a5e78f74fc3
- Original
- No public link identified.