At a recent NAACP forum, mayoral and city commission candidates debated leadership, economic development, safety—and most notably, housing. With homelessness and neighborhood stability on the line, housing took center stage in Dayton’s political future.

Columbus, Ohio — Nearly six years after the passage of House Bill 6 (HB 6), the controversial energy bailout legislation tied to the largest public corruption case in Ohio history, taxpayers are still paying the price. The law has cost Ohioans more than half a billion dollars, and questions remain about who was involved and how deeply.

The current state of American politics feels broken. At a time when millions are at risk of losing healthcare, when vital local programs, from afterschool enrichment to housing assistance are being cut, and when political debate has morphed into a culture war where logic is optional and division is expected, it’s easy to understand why so many people feel powerless. But we cannot afford apathy, not now.