As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 192

2025-2026

To declare the General Assembly's intent to provide funding for the purpose of developing, repairing, or upgrading infrastructure that services housing in rural counties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. (A) The General Assembly finds that access to affordable housing in rural areas is an important part of fostering a robust and lasting population. Accordingly, it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide funding for the purpose of increasing the availability of single-family homes in the rural areas of this state.

(B) The General Assembly declares its intent to provide funding to counties, or to a township or municipal corporation that is fully or partially located in a county, that meets both of the following:

(1) Has a population of not more than seventy-five thousand;

(2) The number of privately owned housing units authorized by building permit, according to the most recent data provided by the United States census bureau, is less than the average number of private housing units authorized by building permit for counties in this state.

(C) The funds are intended to be used to develop, repair, or upgrade infrastructure needed for the construction of single-family, residential dwellings that are all of the following:

(1) Located in a county that meets the criteria prescribed by divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section;

(2) Situated on parcels of land that are no larger than a quarter of an acre, as indicated by records kept by the county auditor;

(3) Located in areas that are zoned exclusively for single-family, residential dwellings.