Council approves human services funding priorities; creates impact award to address food insecurity as part of gun-violence prevention

The Cincinnati City Council on a unanimous vote adopted emergency budget guidance setting human services funding priorities for fiscal years 2026–2027 and approved an ordinance that directs the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and other evaluators to include an "impact award" addressing food insecurity within the city's broader gun-violence prevention priority.

The measures matter because council members said the city faces rising food insecurity and potential federal cuts that could remove state and federal supports; council majority framed the impact award as a way to finance collaborative, large-scale projects aimed at reducing the link between hunger and violence.

Council member Owens introduced the funding-priorities ordinance and said the package increases allocations for workforce development, housing stabilization and gun-violence prevention while preserving an impact award to support an innovation or large collaborative project. "We are demonstrating our priorities by putting our money where our mouth is," Council member Owens said.

Debate focused on the impact award's size and allocation process. Vice Mayor Kearney moved…