The search for middle housing
Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
May 2024 — Like many U.S. cities undergoing growth, Cincinnati is searching for ways to integrate more housing, particularly multifamily and mixed-use. Earlier this year, city leaders proposed land usage and zoning changes through a proposal, called Connected Communities, to help put more people into homes. However, the plan has been met with criticism from residents in the lead-up to a key vote by the Cincinnati Planning Commission on May 18.
“Our housing is not keeping pace with our growth and residents throughout our neighborhoods are feeling the pain of that,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval when rolling out the plan in late January, as cited by Fox 19 News.
The city is currently taking public input on its Connected Communities proposal to address Cincinnati’s housing crisis and deliver more transit-oriented housing. The goal is to craft legislation that modifies zoning and land use codes to spur housing developments such as duplexes, townhomes, row houses and mixed-use buildings. These housing types are commonly referred to as middle housing.
Current residents and homeowners have raised concerns about changing zoning regulations to allow for greater housing density in single-family zoned neighborhoods in Cincinnati.
“Existing homeowners have purchased and invested in their homes under the current zoning regulations. Arbitrarily changing these zoning regulations after the fact to allow multifamily housing in historically single-family neighborhoods will decrease their property values and neighborhood dynamics that may have appealed to them when they chose to live in a particular neighborhood,” said Sarah Kouchy, president of the North Avondale Neighborhood Association, in a written response to city leaders.
“The City of Cincinnati must provide the data and impact analyses that will allow for meaningful review, public participation and approval by the community council of the impacted neighborhoods,” she added.
The proposal addresses the disparity in home price increases and wage growth in recent years. According to the Connected Communities website, the Cincinnati region’s median home value increased from $132,000 in 2016 to $229,000 in 2023 — a 73% increase that outpaces the 37% wage growth over the same period.
“One thing people don’t get right about development or this issue is that you need housing supply at all of the price points,” said Anyeley Hallova, founder of Portland-based sustainable real estate developer Adre, on The Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Podcast.
“That’s where we need a lot of government support to fund those affordable housing.”
The city of Cincinnati has provided support and funding to affordable housing projects through gap financing and incentives, with total appropriations reaching $15.85 million in 2023. Funding has exceeded $12 million annually in each of the last three years, a significant increase from appropriations between 2015 and 2020.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/connected-communities/
