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 to amend the ordinance so that the United Way would "recommend" up to 10 percent for the impact award and city council would make the final allocation; President Pro Tem Parks seconded the motion. Kearney said the change would allow council flexibility to respond to other human-services needs that may emerge when federal funding shifts. "Could United Way recommend the amount up to 10 percent and council make the final determination?" Kearney asked, adding that some smaller providers had called and expressed concern about operating funds.

Council members split on the amendment. Council member Jeffries, who opposed the amendment, argued the nonprofit partners need certainty and that the city should commit to the plan now. Council member Johnson and President Pro Tem Parks supported the vice mayor's amendment. The vice-mayor's motion failed on a roll call, 3 yeas (Johnson, Kearney, Parks) and 6 nays (Jeffries, Nolan, Owens, Walsh, Albee, Grama Ding).

After the failed amendment the council voted on the original ordinance language. The funding-priorities ordinance (item 33) passed on roll call with a majority of votes in favor. The separate but related emergency ordinance (item 34) directing United Way to include an impact award addressing food insecurity passed on a subsequent roll call.

Nonprofit leaders and public commenters who addressed the council during the citizens forum urged that the impact award specifically target food insecurity. Amy Schroeder, executive director of Le Soupe Cincinnati, told council that maps of gun-violence incidents overlapped food-insecurity hotspots and urged the council to "really consider food insecurity as a number-one issue and supporting organizations that are helping do something about it." Chika O'Connell of Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the Safe Network described a November Gallup poll and local partner data showing high levels of unmet food need and tied that need to long-term violence-prevention goals.

Council members and the administration also framed the award as a way to encourage collaboration: the impact award is structured so a lead applicant can coordinate multiple partners rather than funding many competing, small requests. Council member Albee said the award is intended for a large, downstream project and that prior impact awards had pulled together several agencies to address homelessness.

What passed: the council approved the funding-priorities ordinance and the separate emergency ordinance that instructs United Way and the human-services advisory process to include an impact award focused on food insecurity as part of the city's gun-violence prevention priority. The adopted language keeps the impact award at "up to 10%" of appropriated human-services funding; the vice-mayor's motion to change the allocation step failed.

Council members said they expected to continue monitoring the needs of human-services providers and to consider supplemental steps if federal cuts materialize.

Votes at a glance: Vice Mayor Kearney's amendment (failed) — yes: Johnson, Kearney, Parks; no: Jeffries, Nolan, Owens, Walsh, Albee, Grama Ding. Funding-priorities ordinance (item 33) — adopted. Impact award ordinance (item 34) — adopted.

A schedule for the United Way RFP, the final award amounts, and any required appropriation steps will follow the standard RFP and budget process, according to administration staff who answered questions during the debate.