(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s initiative has marked the 1,000th home impacted through the Healthy Homes program. Founded in 2008 in partnership with Community Development for All People (CD4AP), Healthy Homes is dedicated to providing and preserving affordable housing through homeownership, rental and home repair services in Columbus’ South Side and Linden neighborhoods.
In 2025 alone, Healthy Homes impacted more than 135 homes, including 40 new units of affordable housing developed and 95 home repair grants provided to homeowners in the South Side and Linden communities. The home repair program under Healthy Homes has been a facet of the Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative since 2009. Through this effort, home repair grants are awarded to eligible homeowners to make exterior improvements to their homes.
“Back in the fall of 2025, I wasn’t sure how I was going to fix my porches, steps, siding and windows. It took such a toll on me to see that I needed these repairs, yet I wasn’t sure what to do next,” said Sharese Lamar, whose home marks the 1,000th home impacted. “I am so grateful to be able to come home and be proud of what I see. The Healthy Homes team gave me quite a blessing.”
Along with impacting its 1,000th home in 2025, the Healthy Homes team provided over $47,000 of emergency rental assistance and 26 new families signed leases with Healthy Homes. The team is also committed to keeping the neighborhood clean and free of litter, with nearly 250 volunteers participating in three beautification events where they planted trees, cleaned up trash and provided landscaping services.
“Our mission from the very beginning has been to create safe, affordable housing so families can focus on health and wellness,” said Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes. “It is with the dedication from the Healthy Homes team and our community partners that we have been able to achieve that goal for 1,000 homes since 2008. We anticipate only continuing to grow and impact more homes in the Columbus area."
Looking ahead, Healthy Homes plans to create more multi-family housing in Linden and South Side. In addition to larger construction projects, Healthy Homes anticipates a total of 107 homes impacted through home repairs and creating new, affordable housing for renters and homeowners in 2026.
The Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative was created in 2008 to create a holistic approach to the health and well-being of local communities. The initiative focuses on five main factors: affordable housing, education, health and wellness, community enrichment and economic development.