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Realtors press for easier access to ADDIE; city staff outline application reforms
Summary
Greater Cincinnati Realtors told council that down-payment assistance (ADDI/ADDIE) is underused because of paperwork and pre-purchase costs; city manager Roy Hackworth said ADDIE will add inspection checklists, require preapproval letters and seek an online application while preserving paper options.
Felicia Bell, president of the Greater Cincinnati Realtors Association, told the youth and human services committee that while the city's American Dream Down Payment Initiative (ADDIE) is valuable, practical barriers limit access.
"It is good money to help people overcome that barrier," Bell said, noting that ADDIE offers up to $14,000 in assistance but does not cover pre-purchase expenses such as inspections, earnest money or buyer-agent fees. Bell warned that recent industry guidance has shifted assumptions about whether sellers will cover buyer-agent commissions, potentially adding thousands to upfront costs for buyers.
Kyra Graves, first vice president of the Realtors Association, introduced follow-up outreach and education efforts. Bell said the association is working with partners such as Habitat for Humanity and faith-based groups to increase outreach and reduce duplication of services.
Roy Hackworth, who manages ADDIE for the City of Cincinnati, described program changes made after realtor feedback: an application checklist with inspection items so buyers and sellers have clearer expectations, a requirement to include a lender preapproval letter and the applicant's realtor when possible, and plans to RFP an online application system while maintaining in-person assistance for residents without technology access.
Bell and city staff also discussed stacking ADDIE with other grants; Bell cited recent local examples where combined assistance exceeded $40,000 for a buyer using multiple programs. The committee approved and filed the realtor presentation; city staff and the Realtors Association said they will track whether the ADDIE changes improve program uptake.
