Akron Voters Weigh Renter Protections in Issues 11 and 12 as Landlords and Mayor Push Back

Akron voters are being asked to decide two housing proposals that supporters say would make renting more affordable and accessible, while opponents argue the measures would do more harm than good.

Imokhai Okolo, a community organizer and movement lawyer with The Freedom BLOC, said the effort is rooted in a simple idea. "Everybody needs a home," Okolo said.

According to Okolo, Issue 11 would ban housing application fees and allow renters to choose how they pay their security deposit. Issue 12 would make criminal history a protected class, with exceptions for people who are sex offenders or arsonists.

Okolo also described a third proposal, Issue 13, which would give residents a greater voice on the citizens' police oversight board.

The group says it spent months drafting the proposals. "We went all over the city, collecting over 14,000 signatures to put these proposals on the ballot," Okolo said. He added that the decision now rests with voters.

Not everyone backs the campaign. Julie Stoll, acting president of the Akron-Canton Real Estate Investors Association, said landlords feel shut out of the conversation. "I think that the landlords' voices are being taken away, and sadly, we're here to invest in Akron, and if we don't have the ability to reduce our risk because of policies, a lot of the smaller investors will leave the area," Stoll said.

Stoll said she worries Issues 11 and 12 would raise costs, restrict reasonable safety screenings and discourage landlords from investing in housing because of the added risks. She predicted a squeeze on the rental market. "There will be less housing available for renters, the demand is going to go up and the supply is going to go down, and that's going to increase the cost," Stoll said.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik has also urged voters to reject both measures. In a statement released earlier this month, he said he does "think Issues 11 and 12 attempt to tackle real issues but do not take into account the potential negative impacts to tenants and landlords alike."

Okolo rejected the warnings from opponents, saying they are trying to stoke fear. "They're trying to instill fear in people that all of these bad things are going to happen when, in reality, this is going to benefit everyday people," he said. He pointed to the city's affordability challenges, noting that more than 50% of people in Akron cannot afford the monthly cost of living, which he called the focus that matters.