Megan Dunn knows that the $850 monthly rent she pays for a three-bedroom home in Merion Village on the South Side is a bargain.
And she suspects her landlord knows that, too. Homes in the community just south of German Village are being renovated and resold to new owners, often forcing renters like her to move elsewhere.
As part of ongoing efforts to provide more affordable housing options in Columbus, city officials showed off their latest offering on Monday just a few streets north of Dunn s home.
Dubbed Jenkins Street Lofts, the three-story building consists of 15 one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units. All will be occupied by those having incomes between 30% and 70% of the median income for the area.
Zora’s House is getting an upgrade.
The Weinland Park-based nonprofit is the new owner of the site of the recently demolished D&J Carryout at North 4th Street and East 8th Avenue in the neighborhood.
After years of exploring options for the property, Community Properties of Ohio donated the land to Zora’s House, a coworking and community space for women of color currently housed in an approximately 2,000-square-foot building on Summit Street. The organization will launch a $2.5 million capital campaign to construct a 10,000-square-foot building, with a tentative goal to open doors in late 2022.
Founder and CEO LC Johnson said the additional space will allow her to extend programming to more women, who often leverage Zora’s House to launch businesses and other initiatives.