Chamber says housing concerns are real, but permanent Charter amendments would raise costs for renters, invite litigation and stall investment
AKRON, OH — The Greater Akron Chamber Board of Directors has voted to oppose Issues 11 and 12, two proposed amendments to the Akron City Charter on the November 3 ballot and recommends that Akron voters vote no on both.
Up-front rental costs, absentee and neglectful landlords, and the obstacles facing residents with a criminal record are real barriers to housing in Akron, and they deserve action, but Issues 11 and 12 are the wrong solution.
“The people who put these issues on the ballot are raising problems that are real, and the urgency they have to address them is understandable,” said Steve Millard, President and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber. “But measures that raise costs and narrow access for the very residents they are meant to help are not progress. Affordability and access need to be addressed, but Issues 11 and 12 are the wrong tools.”
If passed, Issue 11 would ban rental application and screening fees, require every landlord to accept security deposits in three or six monthly installments, and direct City Council to make failure to give the required notice a criminal offense. Issue 12 would make criminal history a protected class in all real estate transactions, with exceptions only for registered sex offenders and arson offenders, and would also prohibit differential treatment based on a person’s source of income, such as housing vouchers. It would require damages and criminal liability provisions in the implementing law.
The Chamber’s Board cited three concerns:
- The Charter is the wrong place for these rules. The Charter is the city’s constitution. Detailed leasing rules written into it cannot be adjusted by City Council if they produce unintended results. Any correction, large or small, would require another citywide election.
- The measures skipped the deliberative process. Effective legislation moves through hearings, testimony, amendment and public debate with elected officials, tenants, housing providers and neighborhood groups all at the table. That process tests ideas and fixes flaws before they become law. These amendments did not have the benefit of that process, and they have flaws that a legislative process could have addressed.
- The consequences would fall on renters and on Akron’s momentum. Housing providers that need to absorb increased costs and cannot effectively manage safety concerns are likely to raise rents, tighten the screening criteria that remain lawful, or leave the Akron market. The amendments would also create tension with state law and invite litigation the city would have to spend public money defending. Uncertainty is already affecting investment decisions, with work paused on at least one downtown housing project.
“Akron is seeing its strongest stretch of housing investment in a generation, and none of it is guaranteed,” Millard said. “We can protect that momentum and still solve these problems. Mayor Malik has committed to bring legislation on these issues to City Council before the end of the year if the amendments are not adopted. The Chamber will be at that table, and we will press for action.”
“Investment capital moves to communities that establish a predictable, stable environment for growth. Uncapped damages, criminal penalties that apply regardless of intent and open-ended opportunities for litigation are the kinds of things that will move those investments elsewhere in the region,” said Dwayne Groll, CEO and Chairman, Environmental Design Group and Co-Chair of the Akron-Canton Advocacy Alliance. “We are concerned these changes will drive fewer investments, lower Akron’s housing stock, and ultimately result in higher rents for residents.”
Voting Information
Absentee ballot applications must be received by the Summit County Board of Elections by October 27. Early in-person voting at the Board of Elections runs through Sunday, November 1. Absentee ballots, whether mailed or dropped off, must be received by the Board of Elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m..
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. To review the issues on your ballot and find your polling location, visit www.boe.ohio.gov.