OHFA 2021 Fourth Quarter Agency at a Glance

OHFA UPDATE - PAGE 4 - 2022 FIRST QUARTER OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS In late December 2021, OHFA established the Office of Public Affairs, which includes the Communication and Marketing, Legislative Affairs, and the Outreach and Engagement teams. The Office has been busy during the first quarter. From outreach events to advertising, to legislative outreach and assisting with the launch of the Save the Dream Ohio program; our team continues to educate Ohioans on the great work we’re doing here at OHFA. In March, we began our spring Single Family advertising campaign with radio, digital, and print ads running across the state. The tagline for this year ’s campaign is “Homeownership. Make it Part of Your Future,” and highlights the various ways OHFA can support Ohio homebuyers. Blogs and social media posts focused on individual programs support the campaign. Our legislative outreach in the first quarter included testifying in the Federal Subsidized Housing Study Committee, which is reviewing the tax evaluation of affordable housing developments. Executive Director of OHFA, Shawn Smith, outlined in his testimony how the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program is administered and the challenges to taxing them at the market rate. The Office of Public Affairs continues to monitor the committee’s progress on this issue. In March, Smith and the Office of Public Affairs traveled to Newark to participate in a roundtable on housing hosted by State Representative Mark Fraizer. The roundtable brought together various groups in the housing industry to discuss the impact the new Intel plant will have on Ohio’s existing tight housing market. The Communications and Marketing team assisted with the launch of Save the Dream Ohio with a social media campaign and a news release to statewide media. The program which helps eligible Ohio homeowners who are facing foreclosure or cannot afford to pay their mortgage, utility bills, or other housing related costs due to COVID-19 is currently taking applications. The Communications and Marketing team will continue to promote the program and reach out to various stakeholder groups to spread the word on the program. Look for promotional materials on the SavetheDream.OhioHome.org website in the second quarter. PENNY MARTIN DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS