As Columbus strives to solve its affordable housing crisis, a short film may have part of the answer.

The film works to expose the human side of local duplexes, a type of multi-family housing; tell the story of how they impact the lives of local residents; and show their history and potential.

“We wanted to tell the story of something small that’s done something big,” said director and local filmmaker Anita Kwan. “I wasn’t exactly a housing nerd when I started this film, but as I met these incredible people, I became obsessed with how this quirky home has changed so many lives.”

Carli Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio (AHACO), approached Kwan with the idea for a film about duplexes about a year ago and the two interviewed two housing experts and six duplex owners or residents. The film, she said, adds to an existing conversation about housing policy and zoning in Columbus.

"I've always thought policy and art should go hand in hand," Boos said.

The history of duplexes in Columbus

Most duplexes in Columbus date back decades, before a 1954 zoning law made it so multi-family homes can't be built in certain parts of the city.

The change has roots in racism and segregation, Boos said, as duplex construction quietly stopped in reaction to economically exclusionary zoning laws restricting or prohibiting them and other workforce housing styles, including triplexes and quadplexes.

Filmmaker Anita Kwan speaks at Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse during the premiere of the short film tilted "United: The Hidden Story of the Humble Duplex" on June 7, 2025.

"For some communities, this was viewed as a lawful way to reinforce segregation even after the Supreme Court struck down the use of racially restrictive covenants," Boos said.

Though many duplexes built before the law change held up well and still exist today, the law is in effect in some parts of the city, prohibiting duplexes from being built even now.

Places where duplexes can be built are often intended for much larger apartments, making it cost-prohibitive to construct smaller multi-family units, Boos said.

"We need to know where we've been historically," Boos said. "I think this starts a conversation that is rooted in facts and rooted in history."

Duplexes and the affordable housing shortage

For the past year, city officials have been working to change the 1954 code through a zoning overhaul called "Zone In," in part due to Columbus' struggle to have enough affordable housing.

Affordable usually means units where the cost of rent and utilities doesn't exceed 30% of renters' income.

And Columbus has fewer affordable units per capita than New York and San Francisco, according to the 2025 Gap Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO).

A photo of a historic Franklin Park duplex.

Overall, Central Ohio lacks more than 50,000 affordable homes, but duplexes might be part of the solution, Boos said.

“There’s no silver bullet,” she said, of the affordable housing shortage. "But history gives us clues. Duplexes quietly helped generations of Central Ohioans put down roots — and they still can, if we let them.”

Shared structures like duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes reduce redundancies and make housing less expensive, Boos said. It also helps owners build wealth and earn extra income by renting out other units in their home.

What's in a duplex?

Through interviews with six people who live in or own duplexes in Columbus, Kwan and Boos found that they can help people in their lives, build community and offer independence for people who are aging in place or living with disabilities.

One owner has her friends and family live next door. Another, a recovering addict, rents the next door unit to other recovering addicts and helps them stay clean and get their life started again.

Boos hopes that area groups will view the film together and that it can start discussions about what it could mean if duplexes could be built in different neighborhoods.

"I want people to feel almost empowered, in a way, to speak up on how housing has impacted them," Kwan said. "So, if there ever comes an opportunity to share experiences or advocate for themselves or their neighbors, I hope this film makes people more comfortable when having these conversations."

Private screenings of the short film, with a run time of 28 minutes, can be booked at www.ahaco.org/united. AHACO is hosting a free movie and ice cream night from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 17 at the Community Impact Center at 215 North Front Street in Columbus.

Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @DanaeKing.