Safe homes and vibrant neighborhoods are at the heart of our community’s ability to thrive.
Strong and thriving neighborhoods help build stable communities. Stable communities help build a vibrant city. The United Way in partnership with agencies, neighborhood organizations, government, and residents are working together to ensure that all citizens in Central Ohio have decent housing and safer neighborhoods for residents.
Community Issues
- In 2007, the vacancy rate among all housing units was 14.9% within Columbus, compared to 13.4% in Franklin County overall. Vacancy rates fell from 2007 in Columbus, when they were 15.2%, and remained constant in Franklin County.
- In 2008, 77.4% of the county’s vacant units were in Columbus.
- Of the 21,300 units in the county that had physical problems in 2002, 55.9% were rental units with moderate problems, 17.4% were rental units with severe problems, 16.0% were owner units with moderate problems, and 10.8% were owner units with severe problems.
- The 1,913 juvenile arrests in 2004 gave Columbus a juvenile crime rate of 10.9 arrests per 1,000 persons under age 18.
- The Franklin County Juvenile Court reported 10,297 delinquent and unruly youth in 2000 and 11,759 in 2008, an increase of 14.2% during this period.
- The FBI’s Uniform Crime Index Program indicated that the violent crime category decreased in the United States by 1.9% between 2007 and 2008. In Columbus, the number of violent crimes increased by 7.1% during this period.
Community Results
People live in Safe and Decent Housing
Bold Goal: Reduce vacant and abandoned housing by one-third in five priority neighborhoods – Franklinton, King-Lincoln, Northland, Near South Side and Weinland Park
People live in Safe Neighborhoods
Bold Goal: Reduce crime by 30% in five priority neighborhoods – Franklinton, King-Lincoln, Northland, Near South Side and Weinland Park
