Statement on Affordable Housing and Issue 3

By Reggie Harris

Cincinnati is long past the time that aggressive action is needed to solve our affordable housing crisis. For years, leaders have kicked the can of accountability and we now face a severe affordability deficit. COVID-19 has severely impacted the upcoming budget, which means this problem is further exacerbated. Our most vulnerable are at an even greater risk of homelessness or displacement. We must recognize that the city is at a critical juncture, one in which the community is demanding that action be taken NOW. This cannot be ignored.

My work in affordable housing development has provided opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders. It is possible to create and implement equitable development that centers people over profit. I have seen it firsthand in the work I’ve done in cities around the region. One of my top priorities is to ensure that affordable housing is funded by sustainable revenue sources — sources that complement and don’t interrupt job programs, mental health services, and other city programs that are absolutely essential to individuals and families’ stability and economic mobility.

I would like to introduce and reiterate the plans we have to both sustainably fund the Trust and ensure that Cincinnati utilizes all the tools available to actually realize our vision for safe, equitable housing for all.

First and foremost, as the leaders in the community unanimously agree, we must fully fund the Trust with the $50,000,000 it needs, and we must fund it annually. It is the job of Council and city administration to create relationships and make tough decisions about where this money will come from. From my first day in office, I will work tirelessly to:

• Create public-private partnerships with the city’s health, energy, and banking institutions, like our neighbors in Columbus
• Leverage the influx of federal dollars to go specifically towards the Trust
• Implement a downtown parking tax similar to programs in many other U.S cities
• Create a commercial tax on developments over 100,000 sq. ft. similar to the program in Boston
• Create a mixed-income housing density bonus program similar to the one in Philadelphia
• Enforce live-work earnings tax collections (paying the difference to the city in taxes paid to townships and municipalities)

Second, even if the trust is funded, we must restructure our housing system to accommodate the mixed-income reality of Cincinnati. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Members of the community and cities across the country have already done much of this work, and it is up to Council to listen and learn from them. LISC’s Housing our Future Affordable Housing Strategy clearly delineates a plan to address the affordable housing crisis in our city and county. It’s time our leadership had the compassion and confidence to listen to those who have been doing the work.

These issues are systemic and will undoubtedly be met with pushback. Now, more than ever, we must be bold in our commitment to a more equitable Cincinnati. This includes, but is not limited to:

Exclusionary zoning reform to increase the supply and locations of quality, affordable housing:

• Allow multifamily in light industrial districts and allow 2, 3, and 4 unit buildings and townhouses in all residential zones
• Eliminating community commercial auto districts (developments that are meant to cater to driving versus walkability)
• Eliminating parking minimums
• Reducing minimum lot sizes and setbacks
• Creating density and height bonuses in exchange for affordable units in development
• Legalizing accessory dwelling units

Tax abatement reform:

• Following the lead of City Hall in creating clear criteria
• Leveraging the use of abatements to create more affordable units
• Make tax abatements graduated
• Target efforts geographically to diversify where new development is happening

Aggressive homeownership initiatives to ensure generations of stability:

• Work with the county to include tax freezes for generational residents and residents with low incomes to keep them in their homes
• Commit money to help low-income homeowners make repairs

Fair wages for Cincinnati workers so they can afford quality housing:

• Offer tax incentives for businesses that pay a living wage

Transportation reform, to ensure that the transportation needs of all Cincinnatians are met, regardless of zip code:

• Create a policy that no transportation projects should eliminate housing units
• Continue building on Issue 7 to connect Cincinnati’s neighborhoods to job and business centers, and each other

The Affordable Housing Charter headed to the ballot in May holds the correct spirit of a housing-first approach. However, it narrows the scope of bridging the housing gap. It focuses solely on funding the Trust, but at the potential expense of other programs. The Trust is just one of our tools, and an unfunded mandate could do more to debilitate than help a comprehensive approach to housing. Cincinnati, for example, has historically done poorly at utilizing all of the mechanisms available to develop affordable housing. In the past 30+ years, the city has lagged nearly two times behind Columbus and Cleveland in the number of applications and units created from the Ohio Financing Agency’s tools. If we don’t actually find sustainable funding sources, money would have to be pulled from other services during a time of extreme budget uncertainty. This reality would result in one step forward and two steps back on our shared vision of creating stability for thousands of Cincinnatians. For these reasons, I cannot endorse it.

Whether the amendment passes or not is up to the voters. While discourse has been passionate and sometimes divisive, it has not changed my approach to solving the housing crisis. The plans I laid out above are just some of the many things we must do to turn around hundreds of years of inequitable and racist housing laws. We’ve got a long road ahead of us, and there is a lot of uncertainty around the future of Cincinnati leadership. One thing that I can assure you is that, if chosen to represent you, nobody will work harder or provide the kind of expertise than I will to realize our vision for safety, stability, and equity for all of Cincinnati.

We can. We must. We will.