(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital announced today plans for a new affordable housing project in Columbus’ South Side neighborhood through its Healthy Homes program. This project is part of the program’s ongoing efforts to help address the growing need for affordable housing options in Columbus.
The Catholic Diocese of Columbus has sold the more than 6-acre property housing the former Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 1111 E. Stewart Ave., to Nationwide Children’s for $1.2 million to be redeveloped into affordable housing through Healthy Homes. Corpus Christi Catholic Church closed in July 2023. The Diocese requested that demolition of the existing structure be a condition of the sale. While the project is in the early planning phase, the vision for redevelopment of the site includes affordable multi-family rental units and homeownership opportunities. The goal is to begin construction in 2027.
Healthy Homes—a nonprofit housing organization and collaboration between Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children’s—has impacted more than 950 homes in Columbus since 2008, offering rentals and home ownership at below-market rates and grants to residents to make necessary home repairs. More than 600 houses have been renovated, sold or received home repair grants in the South Side alone.
Nearly half of Franklin County’s population (47.5%) lives in rental housing, and the percentage of cost-burdened households—those that spend 30% or more of their monthly household income on housing costs—has increased over the last three years, according to Franklin County’s recently released HealthMap2025. Addressing the affordable housing shortage remains a community-wide focus.
“We know that stable, affordable housing is critical to health and wellness,” said Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes. “This project will help us expand options to the South Side community and help address the overall shortage of affordable housing in Columbus.”
Healthy Homes is part of the hospital’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative, designed to improve the overall health and well-being of communities in Columbus through affordable housing, education, health and wellness, community enrichment and economic development. The initiative started with Community Development 4 All People in 2008 in the South Side neighborhood, close to the hospital, then expanded to include the Linden neighborhood in 2019.
Healthy Homes will work collaboratively with the city, neighborhood and community partners throughout the project planning process.