New construction gets the ribbon cuttings, but a lot of affordable housing work in Ohio is about keeping older buildings livable. The state's housing finance agency just put money behind three of those jobs.
On Oct. 15, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency board approved financing for three developments that together will renovate 399 affordable apartments in Toledo and Columbus, according to OHFA. All three also received 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit reservations.
Ashland Manor, Toledo
Essence LLC received a $2 million Housing Development Loan to rehabilitate Ashland Manor, a 189-unit building for older Ohioans in Toledo.
The developer's proposal summary, posted with OHFA's 2026 housing tax credit summaries, describes an eight-story, double-loaded corridor building on a 2.3-acre site. The plan calls for full like-for-like replacement of fixtures and finishes, accessibility modifications, upgrades to offices and amenity areas, and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment for energy efficiency and longer service life. Parking areas, pavement and fencing will also be upgraded.
The summary lists total development costs of about $35.5 million and names Legacy Construction Services LLC as general contractor and Ebersoldt + Associates as architect of record. All 189 units are listed as having rental subsidy, and the building totals about 145,000 square feet.
Two Columbus projects
The first Columbus project is a family complex. Columbus Housing Partnership, doing business as Homeport, received a $2.5 million Housing Development Loan, $3 million in Housing Development Assistance Program funding and approval for up to $12 million in multifamily housing revenue bonds to rehab George's Creek, a 120-unit property.
Homeport's earlier proposal to OHFA describes George's Creek as a family complex in southeast Columbus that Homeport built in 1995 and 1996 and that hasn't been extensively renovated since. It has 21 residential buildings plus a community building that hosts after-school and summer programs, with a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom flats and two- and three-bedroom townhomes. The property's affordability covenant was set to expire in 2029; the rehab will extend it another 30 years.
Columbus City Council has also been involved. Legislation passed this summer notes that the city has committed $4.8 million in city bond funds to the project and approved restructuring an old city HOME loan on the property. That proposal listed the general contractor as to be determined, and none has been named publicly since.
The second Columbus project serves seniors. Co-developers The Finch Group, doing business as TFG Housing Resources, and Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio received approval for up to $10 million in multifamily housing revenue bonds to rehab 90 senior apartments on two Columbus sites.
LSS lists North Community Place at 120 Morse Road and Village Place at 1489 October Ridge Court, both for residents 62 and older. According to the project's proposal summary, LSS decided a substantial rehab was needed to preserve the buildings for decades to come. The project will move all 90 units from HUD's Section 202 PRAC program to Section 8 project-based rental assistance, giving the buildings a more stable subsidy. LSS will keep managing both properties.
The summary lists total development costs of about $32.5 million and names Ruscilli Construction as general contractor and MA Design as architect, describing both as local firms with experience on similar rehabs. In August, the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority board included the $27 million renovation in a package of more than $125 million in affordable housing investments. "Our collaboration with CMHA and TFG reflects a shared vision of preserving quality, affordable housing for older adults," LSS President and CEO Rachel Lustig said in CMHA's announcement.
Why it matters for Contractors
Rehab work like this keeps a lot of Ohio trades busy, and these three projects are big ones. Ashland Manor alone means MEP equipment replacement, new fixtures and finishes, accessibility work and site paving in an occupied eight-story building. That's work for mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors, finish carpenters, flooring and drywall crews, and paving and fencing subs. George's Creek covers 21 garden-style buildings, still without a named general contractor, so subs in the Columbus area should watch for bids on that one. Ruscilli and Legacy are already attached to the other two jobs, so subcontractors should reach out to them directly. Tax credit rehabs come with their own paperwork, but they also come with financing that's already lined up.