Race, Wealth & Homeownership

West Union Square

Pinecrest

CMHA is Re-Imagining Affordable Housing

Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority had the great opportunity to sponsor and participate in the housing symposium, Closing the Wealth Gap: Race, Wealth & Homeownership. The conference explored ways to boost black and brown communities through homeownership which builds individual wealth and will ultimately help produce diverse, equitable and vibrant communities across Hamilton County. A significant reason for the wealth gap is the difference in homeownership between blacks and whites according to data presented at the conference. It also stated that black homeownership in Cincinnati is around 31% and homeownership for whites is approximately 73% -- creating a 42% gap. The end goal of the conference was to shine a light on the inequity and discuss how to address it in our area.

The conference also addressed the affordable housing crisis. As the largest provider of affordable housing for the county, I was honored to represent Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority by serving as a moderator and speaker during the conference. The combination of our economy, the need for jobs that pay a living wage and the need for affordable housing created a perfect storm for the conversations that took place. Information was shared about the number of families on our wait lists, the voucher holders currently looking for homes, and the average income for families. There is a relatively large gap in wealth. Voucher holders make $11,532 on average while Asset Management families earn $10,360 compared to the *$60,198 median income for Hamilton County. Public and private partnerships and ways to increase self-sufficiency so families move from renters to home owners was also discussed. As you know, those are key factors of the CMHA Mission. We develop housing that provides homes for people of various economic backgrounds, those mixed communities are what will make our community grow. Increasing wealth for families doesn’t end with money, social equality and balance is also needed. The West End Choice Neighborhood Plan currently being developed is a perfect example of residents, community stakeholders and CMHA working together to devise a neighborhood transformation that will potentially knockdown barriers and create a collective mix of families living and working together.

*Data from Census Reporter ACS 2019

Lastly, I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend the Grand Re-Opening of Pinecrest. The bold transformation of the Price Hill hi-rise was completed ahead of schedule. We will provide an inside look at the renovations on November 17, 2021. We are Re-Imagining Affordable Housing.

Kind Regards,

Gregory D. Johnson, MS, EDEP, PHM

Chief Executive Officer

Dreams Achieved

Family Self-Sufficiency Success Story

Upon enrolling in the Family Self-Sufficiency program, Ms. Chambers was working part-time only and did not have a high school diploma. She stated she joined the program "to help better [her] life."

While in FSS, Ms. Chambers set and achieved many goals, including earning her high school diploma, and an EKG certification. She also obtained full-time employment, improved her credit score, attended homeownership classes, and was able to begin saving money.

Ultimately, Ms. Chambers' hard work led to such great success that she reached the point of no longer needing housing assistance. At the time of her exit, she stated she wanted to purchase her first home. This past summer, she achieved that dream, using the over $10,000 she earned in escrow money as a down payment. After closing, Ms. Chambers said, "FSS is a great program to help achieve your goals. Thanks so much for your help and the program."

Congratulations Ms. Chambers, for all your hard work and achievements!

Agency Spotlight: Section 3

Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority spends more than $20 million each year in construction, professional services, and supplies & services. The agency set goals that meet and/or exceed HUD’s minimum numerical goals. CMHA is committed to ensuring 20% of all construction contracts are awarded to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and 5% of all contracts are awarded to Women Business Enterprises (WBEs). The Section 3 Program promotes training and employment opportunities to public housing residents and low-income persons in Hamilton County. CMHA is continually evolving, creating quality housing opportunities for families. As the agency grows, the opportunity for local MBE, WBE and Section 3 businesses to partner with CMHA also expands. Jacquetta Brown is CMHA’s Economic Inclusion Coordinator and she is responsible for assisting Section 3 Businesses that partner with the agency. For information about the Economic Inclusion Program please contact Ms. Brown at (513) 977-5683 or click here to email her. To register as vendor with CMHA visit our website and click the vendor registration box.

Pinecrest Grand Re-Opening

The Bold Transformation of our Price Hill location was completed two months ahead of schedule. Now it’s time to celebrate. Residents have fully renovated homes and common spaces. Please consider joining us for the Grand Re-Opening. Click here to RSVP.

Visit our Website