The housing squeeze header graphic
The supply of housing is desperately short of the need, driving up prices and leaving many in southeast Ohio priced out
A complex web of high construction costs, land prices, interest rates, skilled labor shortages, financing challenges and restrictive zoning have made it challenging to build housing of any kind — especially affordable units
Stories in this ongoing series
Photo of Amber and Regis Saxton
They’re comfortably middle-income, but southeast Ohio home prices leave them with few good options
Homebuyers in Athens County and throughout the region are caught in a market in which demand for homes far exceeds the supply and prices have risen sharply. Building more homes is the obvious answer, but it’s not that simple.
By David Forster
Photo of hole in bedroom wall
Tenants in Athens County live in squalor as markets and regulations fail to meet the need
Facing few regulations and little competition, some landlords rent out derelict properties with glaring health and safety problems. Tenants who try to fight back risk ending up homeless.
By Theo Peck-Suzuki
Photo of Christy Biehl at Marietta drop-in center
A town in southeast Ohio comes around to the idea of sheltering those experiencing homelessness
A Marietta drop-in center has shifted public sentiment, and city officials are now endorsing an overnight shelter. One man shares what it's like being homeless in a small town where everyone knows you.
By Theo Peck-Suzuki
Photo of Jesse Roush at Marietta industrial site
No vacancy: A severe housing shortage leaves little room for job growth in southeast Ohio
Economic development officials are passing on opportunities for business growth. Meanwhile, high costs for running infrastructure and public opposition to developments make it difficult to find buildable lots.
By David Forster
Photo of rooftop of an Athens rental
Complaints over a leaking roof reveal the limits of Athens’ rental code
With no way to enforce an actual residential building code, the city can only act on immediate problems — not the underlying conditions that make those problems more likely.
By Theo Peck-Suzuki
Photo of homes on Morris Avenue in Athens
Zoned out: Decades-old development restrictions complicate efforts to address the housing shortage
Zoning codes face increasing scrutiny as a barrier to meeting the need for affordable homes. Many communities, including some in southeast Ohio, are overhauling their codes, which can ignite a backlash from residents.
By David Forster