Cincinnati City Council committee advances CRA extensions and tax exemption to add affordable housing in OTR and Pendleton

Council Member Mark Jeffries, chair of the Cincinnati City Council's housing-and-growth committee, on Wednesday advanced three 10-year historic Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) extensions and a 12-year tax exemption by unanimous consent, saying the measures will lock in income-restricted housing in Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton.

Jeffries told the committee the first item is a 10-year historic CRA extension for 1405 Clay Street in Over-the-Rhine. The property would receive 100% of the value of improvements and includes four residential units and one commercial unit; one residential unit would be restricted to households at or below 80% of area median income (AMI). "We've done this a couple of times where there's an extension of a CRA, but part of the deal of the extension is that a number of units need to be restricted for affordable," Jeffries said.

The second item is a 10-year CRA extension at 527 East 13th Street in Over-the-Rhine. Jeffries said the project includes seven residential units and one commercial unit, with two units restricted to households at or below 60% AMI. "Assuming no issues or problems, we'll put that in for passage," he said.

The third extension covers a redevelopment at Broadway and 12th in Pendleton. The project would have 39 residential units and six commercial units; Jeffries said 10 of the residential units would be income-restricted, five at or below 60% AMI and five at or below 80% AMI. He moved the item forward "without objection."

The fourth agenda item is a 12-year tax exemption for a building at 7th and Court Street that has been vacant since 2021. Jeffries said the redevelopment would add 18 housing units and one commercial unit. "This is a great project, just a couple blocks away from here," he said, describing it as incremental housing for the city.

Each item was placed on for passage by the committee "without objection," which Jeffries used to conclude the brief meeting. He said the common public benefit across the items is the creation or preservation of income-restricted housing.

The committee adjourned after the items were moved forward; no formal roll-call vote totals were recorded in the committee transcript provided.