Barrister Apartments is a $14.2 million affordable housing development located in Cincinnati’s Central Business District (CBD), delivering 44 units of dedicated affordable housing alongside ground-floor retail. With rents ranging from approximately $400 to $1,250, the development is designed to remain accessible to low-income, working-class individuals and families, ensuring that housing costs do not exceed 30% of monthly income for residents earning between 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income.
As the first affordable housing development in the CBD in over 25 years, Barrister Apartments plays a critical role in restoring residential diversity to a neighborhood that has seen a significant loss of affordable housing over the past several decades. Many former affordable units were either demolished or converted into market-rate condominiums and luxury hotels, including properties such as the Anna Louise Inn and The Metropole. Once recognized by Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) for its diversity, the CBD has since experienced a dramatic shift. Barrister helps address this gap and stands as one of only two affordable housing developments in the neighborhood, with the other serving a specific population of elderly and disabled residents. The project has received unanimous support from the Downtown Resident Council, reflecting strong community interest in expanding affordable housing during an ongoing housing crisis.
Developed through a partnership between Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and Urban Sites, the project involves the renovation of two currently vacant buildings at 214 and 216 E 9th Street, formerly used as office spaces. The buildings—five and seven stories respectively—are being transformed through exterior improvements such as tuckpointing, repainting, and new storefronts, as well as a full interior redesign into residential apartments. The units offer distinctive living spaces with high ceilings and large windows and include a mix of 6 efficiencies, 6 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units, and 8 three-bedroom units, creating a range of options for individuals and families seeking affordable housing in the heart of downtown.
This project received the 2024 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the Historic Preservation category from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.
Partners
Anonymous / Christ Church Cathedral / Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation / City of Cincinnati / City Studios / First Financial Bank / Greater Cincinnati Foundation / Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation / Hubert Family Foundation / Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust, Fifth-Third Bank Trustee / LISC / National Equity Fund / The George and Margaret McLane Foundation / Ohio Department of Development / Ohio Housing Finance Agency / The Port / Marge & Charles J. Schott Foundation
