What do you love most about your city?
The best thing about Dayton is the people. I am always amazed by their willingness to get involved in projects and their passion and commitment to helping others.
What issue do you feel needs more attention in our communities?
Quality affordable housing is a huge issue in our community. On average, our housing stock is older than the elderly clients we serve. Thousands of our neighbors live in substandard housing without running water or heat. According to a Housing Needs Assessment completed in 2021 by Bowen National Research, much of the county’s existing housing is over 50 years old and shows signs of deferred maintenance. This is further evidenced by over 3,000 units in the county are considered overcrowded, and 1,755 lack complete kitchens or indoor plumbing. Given that much of this inventory is occupied by area seniors and low-income households, many households do not have the financial resources to mitigate housing conditions.
What’s your Big Idea for the Dayton region?
1. Require inspections of every property before the sale or title transfer
2. Enforce the codes that are already on the books, particularly hold landlords accountable for code violations
3. Offer resources for low-income homeowners who are unable to complete urgent repairs that affect health and safety
4. Rehab vacant houses before building new homes
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