UPDATE: Driehaus responds to foreclosure ad as ‘deceptive,’ challenges Chabot to debate the issue

State Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Price Hill) stood outside of a foreclosed home in his own neighborhood Thursday morning to fire back at U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) for an ad the Chabot campaign has begun airing that hits Driehaus on the foreclosure issue.

The Driehaus campaign pointed to his role on Gov. Ted Strickland's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force as evidence that Driehaus "has seen firsthand how foreclosed homes can have a tremendously negative impact on middle class families by dramatically lowering the value of neighboring homes, decreasing tax revenue for schools and municipal services and providing havens for crime."

"Congressman Steve Chabot has been absent for the 14 years he has been in Washington on not only the housing and foreclosure issue, but many others," Driehaus said. "Instead of launching deceptive attacks, our congressman should identify what he has actually done to help curb the housing crisis in the District.

"We knew Chabot was running scared, but stooping to a low where he misleads voters is ridiculous," Driehaus continued. "It is sad, to say the least. I would gladly put my record on the housing and foreclosure issue up against the Congressman's record any day of the week. He doesn't have a positive record on it, plain and simple."

Update:

Chabot campaign spokesperson Katie Fox said that Chabot would be "more than happy" to debate Driehaus.

"However, it is disingenuous for Mr. Driehaus to suggest having debates when he refuses to participate in existing debates that include all qualified candidates," Fox said.

Driehaus also hit Chabot for his vote agaisnt the Foreclosure Prevention Act and pointed to Chabot Republican colleague U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce's support of the act.

The Driehaus camp said Chabot "has a long history of running false and deceptive campaign ads against his political opponents."

• The Driehaus campaign also released "Steve Driehaus' Housing Record":
• Created and lead the Multi-Neighborhood Housing Task Force
• Advocated and served on Governor Strickland's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
• Amended Legislation to allow Hamilton County and other large counties to use DTAC (delinquent tax funds) for purpose of foreclosure prevention and remediation
• Facilitated borrower outreach day at Xavier University in coordination with Ohio Department of Commerce
• Co-Founded Price Hill Will
• Helped draft and advocated for Cincinnati's "lease-option" ordinance
• Called for prosecution of illegal property flipping and testified at hearing
• Created housing fund with settlement dollars attained from property flipping cases
• Introduced legislation to restructure the CMHA Board (HB 369)
• Advocated for Housing Court in Cincinnati leading to the creation of our current Housing Docket in Hamilton County Municipal Court
• Amended legislation (HB 9) to clarify that all addresses and property owners receiving housing assistance are considered public record under Ohio law
• Introduced legislation requiring financial disclosure of housing authority and transit authority board members
• Advocated for and co-sponsored predatory lending legislation (SB 185)
• Called for reassessment of Section 8 voucher rates
  Stopped multi-unit development on Queen City Avenue
• Worked with Lower Price Hill residents to leverage Ohio housing tax credits for development of new owner-occupied houses
• Supported legislation (HB 294) to expedite tax foreclosure process to reduce time properties stand vacant
• Supported the merger of CMHA and Hamilton County Section 8 programs
• Worked with Cincinnati officials to bring bank-owned properties into compliance
• Working with Fannie Mae to clean up Fannie Mae controlled properties
• Working with place-based funders and residents to create housing strategy for Price Hill that includes a centralized housing center