Shayla Favor

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“Columbus is one of the greatest cities in the country. However, rapid growth has the potential to create social and economic divides. The responsibility to mitigate the unintended effects of urban development on our vulnerable communities is crucial to the longevity of a thriving, diverse economy for all.”

Councilmember Shayla D. Favor has served the residents of Columbus on City Council since January 2019. She is Chair of the Housing, Health & Human Services, and Criminal Justice and Judiciary Committees. 

Prior to joining Council, Favor served as an Assistant City Attorney in Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein’s office. As a Zone Attorney, Favor had the opportunity to litigate high-profile environmental lawsuits, advise administrative and local governmental agencies, and draft several pieces of legislation. Favor worked alongside the leaders of our city and community to provide essential city services to improve Columbus’ neighborhoods and facilitate conversations to address criminal activity, vacancies, abandonment, and blight. 

While serving as a Zone Attorney, Favor implemented two initiatives to address our City’s blight; the Vacant and Abandoned Property program, along with Receivership program, have both addressed blight through enforcement, demolition and rehabilitation. These initiatives have effectively helped to decrease our vacant and abandoned property count and to put once-blighted properties back into the housing market. 

The manifestation of the disparities that lie within historically marginalized communities can be identified through the examination of the racial wealth gap, the lack of access to employment opportunities, quality education, health care and affordable housing. As a member of Council, Favor is intentional about focusing her work to ensure that everything she legislates and advocates for is filtered through an equity lens in order to address these disparities and combat racism through policy. In just two years, Favor created the Columbus Youth Council, spearheaded the effort to amplify and fund Deliver Black Dreams, expanded the City’s effort to protect immigrant and refugee families through the Columbus Families Together Fund, legislated policies intended to address housing insecurity with the Housing for All legislative package, and advocating for public safety reforms with the Reimagining Safety Initiative. In addition to serving on Council, Favor serves as the President of Partners Achieving Community Transformation, a non-profit organization that is working to create a healthy, financially, and environmentally sustainable community where residents have access to safe and affordable housing, quality healthcare and education, and employment opportunities. Favor is also serving as a visiting Professor at Denison University, where she is teaching a class on the history of racism and housing.  

Favor lives on the Near-East side of Columbus with her husband Corey Favor and their adorable puppy Hudson.