Housing affordability, infrastructure investments, and economic opportunity top regional priorities
Nearly 1,000 elected officials, business and civic leaders from gathered today for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s (MORPC) 2025 State of the Region to address Central Ohio’s most pressing challenges and opportunities as it grows. The annual event celebrated the region’s progress, recognized outstanding leadership, and outlined a vision for continued growth.
The annual event, themed Growing Stronger Together: Building a Thriving Region, emphasized bold, collaborative action focused on the power of choice—expanding housing, transportation and economic opportunities — that help residents shape their futures while fostering sustainable growth.
“As Central Ohio continues its rapid growth, we have a choice in how we shape our future. Success won’t be measured by growth alone, but by how well we expand opportunities for housing, transportation and economic prosperity. Through collaboration and bold investments—like the LinkUS Initiative, expanded regional trails and strategic housing solutions—we can ensure our communities grow stronger, more connected, and more inclusive. Central Ohio is not just growing bigger; we are growing better, together.”
MORPC welcomed keynote speaker Bruce Katz, Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University and Founder of New Localism Associates. Katz advises leaders on leveraging the competitive advantages of their cities and metropolitan areas. He is co-author of “The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism” and “The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy.”
"The future of our cities is going to require radical collaboration, where power shifts to local communities, fostering innovation by building networks of public, private, and civic partners. By working together and blocking out the “noise” that creates fragmentation, Central Ohio can navigate the changes ahead, continue building a robust region, while truly getting better as you grow."
Additionally, MORPC unveiled the preliminary results of the Leaders Listen Survey Series, developed in partnership with Measurement Resources Company, to obtain residents’ opinions on experiences and services in the region. The Leaders Listen Series is a set of short surveys produced by MORPC that periodically invites residents within the Central Ohio region to share their input. The most current survey topic in the series is economic development, gathering insights from residents across the 15-county region.
Key findings from the survey include:
- Housing affordability is the top economic concern in Central Ohio, with 73% of residents saying housing costs are too high, and 31% citing a lack of housing options as a major issue.
- More than half of residents (51%) believe increasing affordable housing supply is the most impactful economic development strategy—ranking higher than business attraction or small business support.
- Job opportunities remain a concern, with 36% of respondents citing a lack of high-paying jobs and 26% pointing to an overall job shortage. However, 54% of residents feel optimistic about the region’s job outlook, likely fueled by recent large-scale employer announcements.
- Childcare affordability is a significant barrier to workforce participation, with 27% of respondents ranking it among the top three economic concerns. Among families with young children, 20% have sacrificed childcare costs to afford housing.
- Infrastructure and utilities improvements have strong public support, with two-thirds of respondents agreeing that investments are needed to sustain growth. However, only 42% of residents support raising taxes to fund these initiatives, signaling a preference for cost-effective or alternative funding solutions.
The survey results reinforce the critical role that housing, jobs and infrastructure investments play in shaping Central Ohio’s future. Insights from Leaders Listen will guide regional planning efforts to ensure growth is equitable and sustainable. For a full breakdown of the survey results, visit www.morpc.org/leaderslisten.
Three awards were presented to outstanding leaders and initiatives shaping the region:
The William H. Anderson Excellence in Public Service Award was awarded to Thomas Homan, City Manager, City of Delaware. Homan, who served as Delaware’s city manager for 26 years, played a pivotal role in revitalizing the city’s downtown, spurring new neighborhood development, and leading key economic initiatives. Under his leadership, Delaware received national recognition, including being named one of Ohio Magazine’s Best Hometowns and earning a spot on Money Magazine’s Top 50 Best Places to Live.
The Regional Leadership Award went to Commissioner Jeff Fix, Fairfield County. Commissioner Fix has championed responsible growth in Fairfield County, balancing new housing development with community preservation. He led the creation of the county’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan to guide sustainable development.
MORPC awarded the William C. Habig Collaborative Achievement Award to the Drive Investment in Central Ohio: War Room Collaborative. This initiative, founded by The Columbus Partnership, brings together public, private, higher education, and nonprofit leaders to secure critical funding for regional projects. In 2024, their efforts resulted in a record $116 million in federal funding for Central Ohio, supporting key projects such as Lancaster’s Industrial Complex, Columbus Regional Airport Authority’s Terminal Grant, COTA’s West Broad Corridor expansion, and Intel’s semiconductor facility investments.
For a complete recap of the 2025 State of the Region in the coming days, visit www.morpc.org/sotr.
The 2026 State of the Region will be held on March 20, at the Columbus Downtown Hilton.
