CANTON, Ohio — Access to affordable housing has emerged as a key factor in economic development decisions, reshaping how communities compete for business investment. Local leaders say employers increasingly weigh housing availability and quality of life alongside traditional considerations such as infrastructure and labor costs.
In Stark County, officials, educators and financial institutions are working to close a gap between wages and home prices through policy incentives, workforce development and new lending programs aimed at reducing barriers to homeownership.
The issue was discussed Thursday during a Coffee and Connections event at the Canton branch of 717 Credit Union, part of a monthly networking series hosted in partnership with The Business Journal.