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.