Policy Pitch Night in Columbus: Residents Select Landlord-Tenant Mediation as Winning Idea
[COLUMBUS, OH] Columbus residents selected Olabisi Eddy’s policy
idea as the issue they’d like to see championed in City Hall by Council
President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown. According to Olabisi Eddy’s presentation,
the goal of the policy is to help prevent the harm that evictions inflict upon
families by ensuring that landlords and tenants work together to explore better
outcomes for each party.
Council President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown and Councilmembers Priscilla Tyson and Shayla Favor were on
hand Wednesday night to hear Eddy and four other Columbus residents pitch their
policy ideas.
“We want to tap into the knowledge of everyday residents as we
work to support the success of every person in Columbus,” said Pro Tem Brown. “All of the
proposals were fantastic, and I’m excited to work with Olabisi Eddy to help her
advance her policy.”
The four other policy proposals, selected by a group of local
grassroots leaders and community members as finalists, included ideas around:
- Providing
tools to help daycare centers achieve at least 1-star certification so
that they can continue to receive Step-Up funds.
- Creating
a City-level division of mobility and economic policy to focus on
equitable non-highway transportation.
- Allocating
$2 million in City funding to expand the SNAP-Ed program in high-need
Columbus neighborhoods.
- Permanently
expunging eviction records for residents who participate in financial
literacy classes or other relevant workshops.
Policy Pitch Night originated in Cincinnati two years ago when
Cincinnati City Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld partnered with Cohear, pledging
to bring the winning policy to City Hall. The annual event has been a
resounding success in Cincinnati.
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Cohear is a community engagement and strategy
company. We help leaders develop meaningful solutions to difficult problems by
organizing and engaging community members with lived experience. Through our
unique combination of outreach and facilitation, we bring decision makers and
everyday experts together in forward-thinking focus group conversations.
Cohear: Nia Baucke, (513) 214-9679,
[email protected]