Cincinnati Affordable Housing Trust Fund Timeline

Throughout 2017 we drafted legislation for the establishment, funding and operation of an affordable housing trust fund, utilizing legislation from throughout this country.

In fall 2017 we worked with a City Council member to bring forth a motion to Council which would establish a working group between our organizations and City staff to utilize the work we had already done and come back to City Council with recommended legislation for passage.

This working group was created and started meeting, but by spring 2018, had been disbanded by the city due to internal city politics.

In 2018 we attempted to get other members of City Council to work with us to bring forth legislation, eventually, one member of Council joined us and brought forth an ordinance we wrote together.  This ordinance was passed in December 2018.  It established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, stated that at least half of funds must be used for housing affordable to households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income and all of the funds must be used for housing affordable at 60% of the area median income or lower and that there would be a Community Oversite Board.  41% of Cincinnatians need housing affordable within this range.

In 2018 we attempted to get other members of City Council to work with us to bring forth legislation, eventually, one member of Council joined us and brought forth an ordinance we wrote together.  This ordinance was passed in December 2018.  It established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, stated that at least half of funds must be used for housing affordable to households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income and all of the funds must be used for housing affordable at 60% of the area median income or lower and that there would be a Community Oversite Board.  41% of Cincinnatians need housing affordable within this range.

The passed 2018 legislation said it was the intention of City Council to bring forth an additional ordinance establishing a set revenue stream for the Trust Fund and establishing the processes by which the funds could be utilized.  Despite increasing pressure, council never took this step and has never allocated a substantive annual revenue source to the Trust Fund.

In 2019, we began working on a ballot initiative to fund the Trust Fund, establish processes for the funds to be used and proper community oversite and accountability.

In 2020, we began circulating petitions to put this measure on the ballot.  We collected 9,500 signatures in the middle of the pandemic.

What became Issue 3, was on the May 2021 ballot.  While it did not pass, thousands of people voted for it and more politicians began to take notice of the great need for affordable housing and the growing public pressure to fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

We are now working with our many partner organizations to improve our drafted legislation and once again secure the opportunity for Cincinnatians to vote to annually fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, create prevailing wage jobs and bring neighborhood stability.