Lima’s #1 workforce retention problem has a ready-made solution.

The Allen Economic Development Group documented Lima’s workforce housing crisis. We built The SEED – Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity to solve it — a path to homeownership for your employees, starting this month.
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1,700

open jobs within 10 miles of Lima

$0

cost to your company

48hrs

from application to credit decision

Any Employer Can Apply!

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

Why Lima employers are losing good people — and it's not your salary.

You’ve posted the job. You’ve offered competitive pay. You’ve run the referral bonus program. And you’re still watching candidates accept offers in Toledo and Columbus — not because those jobs pay more, but because those cities have somewhere to live.

Lima doesn’t. Not right now. Not at a price your employees can access. And that’s not your fault. But it is your problem.

“Challenges identified by the consortium include transportation, child care, a lack of adequate and affordable housing, a lack of infrastructure…”
— Allen Economic Development Group, 2025 Regional Development Report
The same organization that facilitated P&G’s $501M expansion in Lima.

4%

Lima rental vacancy rate (waitlists exist)

$15K–$30K

average cost to replace one employee

202,000+

unit shortage across Ohio (OHFAFY26)

The result: you’re spending $15,000 to $30,000 every time you lose a good employee — recruiting fees, training costs, lost productivity. Multiply that by your current open headcount. That number is sitting on your desk right now.

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

Book Your 15-Minute Partner Call

Introducing The SEED - Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity

Workforce Homeownership by Hometown Communities. Move-in ready homes for your Lima employees — minutes from your facility.

Inviting Employers to Plant THE SEED 🌱 for their Employees!

What your employees get:
Benefit What it means
Up to $5,000 equity They own a home worth ~$75,000 for a purchase price of ~$70,000. Real equity from day one — not a rental.
$1,500 closing cost assistance We cover $1,500 toward closing costs — reducing the barrier to get in the door.
No broker fees Employees can purchase directly without paying added broker fees.
No application fee* Standard application fee waived for partner employer employees.
* Reimbursed to approved applicants
48-hour credit decision Not a 12-week mortgage process. A decision within 48 hours. Move in within 3 weeks.
Priority home selection Partner employees get first access to available homes before the general public.
What your company gets:
What you get Details
$0 cost to your company This program costs your company nothing. No budget required. No vendor contract.
0 administration burden You verify employment. We handle every other step of the process.
Quarterly impact report Every 90 days you receive a report on enrollments, homes placed, and retention.
Bring it to your CEO.
Community partner recognition Your company is featured as a Lima workforce housing partner — press release,
Plaza signage, AEDG recognition.
Recruitment tool Add to job postings: “Workforce homeownership program available.”
One line that changes how candidates see you.

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

Total employee benefit value: ~$5,000
Total cost to your company: $0

The SEED – Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity is the most valuable zero-budget employee benefit available to Lima employers today.
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This isn't our data. It's yours.

Every stat on this page comes from Allen County’s own economic development organizations. We didn’t write this problem — they documented it. We just solved it.
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“Workforce development is among the organization’s biggest requests, highlighting the ongoing need for skilled employees to support the local manufacturing economy.”
Tim Fitzpatrick, Business & Work Development Lead · Allen Economic Development Group
Source: hometownstations.com/news/allen_county/

“Challenges identified by the consortium include transportation, child care, a lack of adequate and affordable housing, a lack of infrastructure…”
Allen Economic Development Group · 2025 Regional Development Report
Source: limaohio.com/top-stories/2025/07/29/regional-development-plan-is-discussed-in-lima/

#3

Lima’s national rank for manufacturing (cities under 150K population)

108%

more manufacturing jobs than the average US city (AEDG verified)

1,700

open jobs within 10 miles of Lima (OhioMeansJobs, 2026)

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

Lima rental market facts:
• 53% of Lima residents are renters
• 4% rental vacancy rate — one of the lowest in northwest Ohio
• 1,098 income-based apartments in Lima — all have waiting lists
• City of Lima received a $720K state grant because the housing shortage is officially documented
Source: affordablehousingonline.com | City of Lima Housing Department

We are not asking you to take our word for it. Call the Allen Economic Development Group at 419-222-7706 and ask them directly. They will confirm that workforce housing is their documented #1 challenge — and that The SEED – Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity is part of their solution.

Ford Lima Engine Plant

1,393 employees
5 min drive

Procter & Gamble

1,349 employees
6 min drive

Mercy Health / St. Rita’s

Allen County’s #1 employer
7 min drive

General Dynamics (JSMC)

500+ defense workers
10 min drive

Bob Evans Foods Mfg.

Night shift workers
7 min drive

Lima Memorial Health

#3 largest employer
6 min drive

Allen County Government

500+ public servants
5 min drive

Lima City Schools

Teachers & admin staff
4 min drive

Built for the employers Allen County runs on.

Plaza MHP is located at 2145 N Dixie Hwy, Lima, OH 45801 — minutes from the facilities where Allen County goes to work.
For every home sold, we plant 1 tree 🌱 locally :)

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

Book Your 15-Minute Partner Call

Ford Lima Engine Plant

1,393 employees
5 min drive

Procter & Gamble

1,349 employees
6 min drive

Mercy Health / St. Rita’s

Allen County’s #1 employer
7 min drive

General Dynamics (JSMC)

500+ defense workers
10 min drive

Bob Evans Foods Mfg.

Night shift workers
7 min drive

Lima Memorial Health

#3 largest employer
6 min drive

Allen County Government

500+ public servants
5 min drive

Lima City Schools

Teachers & admin staff
4 min drive

How The SEED - Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity works — for you and your employees.

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

STEP 1

You book a call

15 minutes. We walk you through the program, answer every question, and confirm your company as a partner.

Your time: 15 minutes

STEP 2

Your employees apply

You share the program with your team. Interested employees apply directly. We handle qualification, approval, and home selection.

Your time: one email to your team

STEP 3

They move in. You win.

Your employee is in a home they own within weeks — not months. You receive your first quarterly impact report 90 days later.

Your time: zero

Requirements

Program requirements:
• Current employment verification from your company (we handle the paperwork)
• Standard credit and income qualification
• No prior homeownership required

That’s it. No waiting lists. No lottery. First-come, first-served.

FAQs

Q: Does our company have to sign anything?
A: No legal contract required. You simply verify employment for interested employees.
Q: What if an employee leaves our company after buying?
A: The home belongs to your employee. There is no clawback or obligation on your part.
Q: How many employees can participate?
A: As many as qualify. There’s no cap on the number of employees from one company.
Q: How long does the process take from interest to move-in?
A: Typically 3–6 weeks from application to keys in hand.

Book Your 15-Minute Partner Call

Lima's housing problem has a solution. It's called The SEED - Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity . Your team deserves to know about it.

Logan Carter, COO @ Hometown Communities

15 minutes is all it takes to make The SEED – Stability, Equity, Empowerment, Dignity available to every employee at your company — at zero cost, with zero administration on your end.

Book a call. We’ll walk you through everything. No commitment required.
Book Your 15-Minute Partner Call

How The SEED protects employers

Under this program the employer is a low-risk bystander: you pay nothing, sign nothing, and every regulated step is handled by licensed third parties. This sheet explains that — and the short disclaimer that keeps it that way.

What this means for you
Question Answer
Does this cost us anything? No. No fee, no budget, and no compensation in either direction — you pay nothing and receive nothing.
Do we sign or administer anything? No. There is no contract, no paperwork, and no administration on your part.
Who handles the financing? Licensed third-party lenders / originators, licensed in the states we operate — not you. Hometown does not originate loans.
Who verifies employees & eligibility? The licensed third-party providers do. You are not involved in verification or eligibility.
Are we endorsing a loan or product? No. You are simply sharing a resource. All eligibility and financing decisions are made solely by the licensed providers.
Are any referral fees involved? None. No money changes hands in any direction — which keeps everyone clear of referral / anti-kickback concerns.
What if an employee is unhappy? You are not a party to the transaction. The published disclaimer (below) makes your non-involvement explicit.
Can we see proof of insurance? Yes. A certificate of insurance is available on request.
Can HR answer financing questions? No. HR should simply direct employees to Hometown Communities or the participating licensed lender. HR should not answer questions about financing, eligibility, interest rates, or loan products.
Does participation affect employment? No. Participation is entirely voluntary and has no effect on hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, or continued employment.
Will my employer receive my financial information? No. Financial, credit, and application information is submitted directly to the participating licensed providers. Your employer does not receive or review your mortgage application or lending information.