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Athens, Ohio: Affordable Housing Stagnation Amidst University Town Growth
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
Athens, Ohio, a college town housing Ohio University, has a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing inventory of 72 total units, with 36 designated as low-income units. This represents approximately 0.69% of the city's estimated 10,421 housing units. Athens has received $434,039 in LIHTC funding for affordable housing projects, averaging $217,019.50 per project and $6,028.32 per unit in federal funding. The city holds 0.1% of Ohio's total LIHTC funding.
The LIHTC-funded affordable housing in Athens spans from 1991 to 2007, with the earliest project, Westview Apts, completed in 1991 and the most recent, Beaumont Greene, finished in 2007. The 2000s saw the most significant LIHTC development activity in Athens. The housing stock primarily consists of two-bedroom units, with 36 such units available, and 4 one-bedroom units, suggesting a focus on accommodating small families or individuals sharing living spaces.
Athens has experienced population fluctuations over the past decade, declining from 29,424 in 2019 to 27,200 in 2022. Despite this decrease, the median income has shown an upward trend, rising from $41,935 in 2019 to $46,577 in 2022. This increase in median income may partially explain the lack of new LIHTC projects in recent years.
The racial composition of Athens has remained relatively stable, with the white population consistently representing the majority at around 83-84% of the total. There has been a slight increase in diversity, with small growths in the Asian, Black, and Hispanic populations, as well as those identifying as two or more races.
Athens' LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory, while modest in size, has provided a consistent presence of low-income housing options for over a decade and a half. The city's allocation of state LIHTC funding is proportionally small, reflecting its size and needs relative to other Ohio municipalities. The focus on two-bedroom units suggests an emphasis on accommodating small families or shared living arrangements. While the population has slightly declined in recent years, rising median incomes may have influenced the lack of new LIHTC developments. The city's demographic composition has remained relatively stable, with a slight trend towards increased diversity.
