Columbus is not growing by accident. It is being built through policy, capital, and coordinated investment that most people never see. The city uses Community Reinvestment Areas and Enterprise Zone agreements to grant developers property tax abatements that can reach up to 100 percent for as long as 10 to 15 years. That means new developments can go up while contributing little or nothing to local tax revenue during those years. At the same time, public discussions have confirmed that hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives have been approved to attract and support private development across the city. Some housing policies also allow developers to pay into funds instead of building affordable units, which keeps construction moving but does not guarantee access for the people already living in these communities.

Now look at where that money and development is going. Areas like Franklinton, the Scioto Peninsula, and parts of the Near East Side have seen major redevelopment backed by public incentives and private capital. As property values rise, rents rise with them. Longtime residents face higher costs without gaining ownership in what is being built. This is not a coincidence. This is how the system is designed to function. Investment flows into land and property. Ownership is secured at the top. Value increases over time. And the people without ownership are left paying more to remain in place or are pushed out entirely.

This pattern is not new. It has existed for decades. What has changed is the scale and the speed. Capital is moving faster. Development is happening faster. But access to ownership has not increased at the same rate for Black communities. Data continues to show that Black homeownership rates in Columbus remain significantly lower than white homeownership rates. That gap represents more than housing. It represents access to equity, stability, and long-term wealth.

So when people say the city is improving, you have to ask a different question. Improving for who. Because if development increases but ownership does not, then wealth is being created and captured in the same places it always has been. If incentives are given but access is not expanded, then opportunity is being concentrated, not distributed. If neighborhoods are rebuilt but the original residents cannot participate in that growth, then the outcome is displacement, not progress.

This is not about one program or one policy. This is about a structure that consistently prioritizes development over ownership. Programs have existed for years. Grants, initiatives, and funding cycles come and go. But the underlying issue remains. Programs manage conditions. Ownership changes conditions. And ownership in this city is still largely controlled by developers, investors, and institutions that have direct access to capital and policy alignment.

Now here is another layer that has to be addressed honestly. A system like this does not continue without participation. There are individuals who learn how to navigate it, benefit from it, and position themselves inside of it. Some gain access to contracts, positions, or opportunities and focus on maintaining that access. In the process, the broader condition does not change. That is not about blame. That is about understanding how systems sustain themselves. If individual success becomes disconnected from collective progress, then the overall outcome remains the same.

That is why this matters to everyone. Young or old. Renter or homeowner. Because the same system shaping development today will determine who controls wealth in this city for the next generation.

Now here is the part that has to be understood clearly. The answer is not waiting on another program. The answer is not waiting on another election cycle. The answer is not hoping the system corrects itself. The system is operating exactly as it was designed to operate.

The only way this changes is through coordinated action around ownership and economics.

Here is what that looks like in real terms. Learn exactly where development is happening and who is receiving incentives. Pay attention to which companies and projects are being funded and approved. Organize around spending. Support businesses and efforts that build ownership within the community. Push for policies that tie incentives directly to measurable increases in local ownership, not just development. Share verified information so more people understand how the system actually works.

And most important, stop moving as individuals and start moving with coordination.

Because the people who control development are not acting randomly. They are acting with strategy, alignment, and resources. The same level of coordination has to exist on the other side if the outcome is going to change.

If nothing changes in how people respond, then nothing changes in the result. The same pattern will continue. Development will increase. Ownership will stay concentrated. And the gap will grow.

So the decision is simple. Keep watching it happen. Or start moving with purpose.