The impact of integrating affordable, multi-generational housing with access to nutritious, affordable food and hands-on learning about how it is produced, was highlighted when US Congressman Michael Carey (Ohio’s 15th Congressional District) met with representatives of Woda Cooper Companies Inc.’s (WCCI) team at Wheatland Crossing, a multi-phase affordable housing community in the Hilltop area of Columbus. Also participating were representatives of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) and Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OFHA).
Congressman Carey, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Committee on House Administration, had an opportunity to see firsthand housing tax credits at work at the Wheatland campus. In 2017, Phase I delivered 42 affordable apartments in a three-story building with an elevator for seniors with annual incomes of up to 60%. Phase II in 2021 added 64 general occupancy units, including townhomes and garden apartments for residents 30 to 80% area median income. In addition, Wheatland Crossing offers two multipurpose rooms with kitchenettes, a fitness center, laundry facilities, a computer room, bocce ball courts, a gazebo and pond, and community gardens.
Wheatland Crossing II was co-developed with MOFC, who oversees the community gardens and is now finishing construction at the Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop located on an adjacent property. Last year the gardens at Wheatland Crossing produced nearly 500 lbs. of produce. The Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop will host regular produce markets and will provide agricultural and nutrition education, training for agricultural careers, and opportunities for volunteering for Wheatland Crossing residents and neighbors.
We thank Congressman Carey for taking time to visit Wheatland Crossing, along with our friends at Mid Ohio Food Collective and Ohio Housing Finance Agency. We also wish to convey our appreciation to the City of Columbus, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus & Franklin County, Homes on the Hill, Huntington National Bank, and Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
Top photo from left: Guy Ford (OHFA); Amanda Mitchell, Greg Trevino, and Chris LaGrand (WCCI); Taylor Bershet (MOFC); US Congressman Mike Carey; Jeffrey J. Woda (WCCI), and Mike Hochron (MOFC). Lower left photo features Mike Hochron, Congressman Carey, Taylor Bershet, and Chris LaGrand, in front of the farm construction site. Lower right photo depicts townhomes in Phase II at Wheatland Crossing.