How We Advocate
We work for more affordable housing resources by showing up at City Council, engaging with our Community Councils, working with groups like NCRC to make sure banks are held accountable to Community Reinvestment Act agreements, advocate to Congress with National Low Income Housing Coalition, and alongside COOHIO we work on the State Budget to advocate for affordable housing.
What is Affordable Housing?
In general, housing is considered affordable if the occupants are paying no more than 30 percent of their income for gross housing costs, including utilities.
Because of our affordable housing shortage, hardworking, everyday people like childcare workers, school bus drivers, home health aides, custodians, retail and food service workers, recreation center employees, and government retirees are struggling to keep their heads above water. Far too many of us are spending more than 30% of our income on housing. As a result we have less money to put towards other basic needs like food, transportation and health care.
Times are particularly hard for those of us with lower income. In fact, at least 54% of us with household incomes below $30,000 a year are spending more than half of our income on housing! It doesn’t have to be this way.
Rents rose more in Cincinnati than it has in any city in the country last year!
According to an analysis by Redfin, Cincinnati rents jumped more in the last year than any city in the country. In fact, the current median asking price for rent in Cincinnati is $1815.00/month. Far higher than what most of us can afford to pay.
Homelessness is a crisis in our community.
According to Project Connect, an initiative of Cincinnati Public Schools, more than 3,500 students each year experience homelessness. In fact, CPS has three times the national rate of homeless students. Between 10-20% of CPS students this year will experience homelessness.
We're more than 28,000 units short of affordable housing.
A 2017 report from the Community Building Institute found that that at that time, Cincinnati was short more than 28,000 units of housing affordable to those of us who most need truly affordable housing. That number is likely higher today than it was six years ago. In fact, A 2022 report found that since 2010, there has been a 35% decline in rental housing supply for those of us living in households with an income less than $30,000 a year.
State and National Level Advocacy
We advocate for affordable housing at the state and national level by partnering with several organizations.
At the state level, we partner with the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, and the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association.
At the national level, we partner with Local Initiative Support Corporation, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Low-Income Housing Coalition, National Coalition for the Homeless, and National Equity Fund.
Community Level Action
We encourage our residents and members of the community to participate in the Community Councils of their respective neighborhoods. Community Councils are a productive, welcoming and interactive way for residents and neighbors of a community to have their voices heard.
Here are some of the Councils we engage with: CUF Neighborhood Association, Downtown Residents Council , Lower Price Hill Community Council, Northside Community Council , Over-the-Rhine Community Council, Pendleton Neighborhood Council, West End Community Council.
Don’t see your community council listed? Search here.
Community Rubric Tool
As our community has continued to struggle against unjust development practices, our education work has increasingly focused on turning community knowledge into tools for organizing and better policy. Our Equitable Development Rubric, and its accompanying framework, offer a foundation for a creative and desperately-needed inclusionary housing policy in Cincinnati. With it, we are educating and strengthening a grassroots push for change at City Hall.
Explore the RubricSave the Milner Hotel
For 50 years, the Milner Hotel offered safe, clean affordable housing for people in need. In 1994, the Milner was demolished and replaced by Greenwich on the Park to make way for upscale housing.
Be a Catalyst for Change
At Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, our commitment to securing more affordable housing resources drives us to take impactful action. We engage with local government, community councils, and key organizations to champion policies and initiatives that support affordable housing. By working with various advocacy groups and participating in budget discussions, we ensure that the needs of our community are heard and addressed. Your donation empowers us to continue this vital work, helping us build a more inclusive and equitable community. Join us in making a difference.
Ways to Give