Habitat for Humanity outlines growth plan, cites 23 homes and 174 repairs in Cincinnati last year

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati presented its recent production, financing model and growth plans to the Cincinnati City Council Housing & Growth Committee, saying it built 23 homes in the city in fiscal 2025 and completed 174 critical home repairs focused on seniors and veterans.

Jason Chamley, vice president of real estate development at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, told the committee the affiliate serves households at 30% to 80% of area median income and uses an affordability model that combines a 0% interest, 25‑ to 30‑year mortgage with a subordinated second mortgage to cover the gap between appraised market value and what a household can afford. "We built 23 homes and put families into those homes, as well as 174 home repairs," Chamley said, adding that the second mortgage is "forgivable over 15 years" and structured to encourage long‑term ownership.

Chamley described three primary funding buckets for Habitat projects: traditional fundraising and donated labor/materials; project subsidies and public funding (including NOFA processes, state programs and federal resources); and monetization of mortgage streams through partnerships with banks. He said Habitat also operates a ReStore social enterprise that contributes revenue.

As examples of recent work, presenters discussed five infill homes in East Price Hill, a four‑unit attached row house in the West End, projects in Evanston, and seven rehabs in Lower Price Hill. Tierra Powell, introduced as Chamley’s colleague at Habitat, said the affiliate’s work helped double homeownership rates in parts of Lower Price Hill since 2019.

Chamley outlined a planned Mohawk District project in Over‑the‑Rhine that includes one historic rehab and eight new attached units (nine homes total) on a half‑acre site at McMicken and Manchester. He estimated the Mohawk project at about $3,000,000 with ground‑breaking expected in spring and completion by late summer or early fall.

Committee members asked how Habitat's model could work with the city's vacant building registration and broader strategies to increase housing stock. Chair Councilman Mark Jeffries asked whether Habitat could convert or acquire vacant buildings; Chamley said Habitat does "recycles"—repurchasing former Habitat homes when feasible—and is open to partnering on publicly controlled acquisitions but noted many subsidy programs favor new construction over acquisition.

Vice Chair Anna Albee and others asked how Habitat will preserve its volunteer home‑building tradition while increasing density and speed. Chamley said the organization plans a parallel approach: maximize volunteer‑led traditional builds while using third‑party contractors and general contractors for higher‑density projects and to scale production. "We'll kind of blend the two together, so that we can increase production and scale, while still preserving the traditional Habitat model that everyone knows and loves," he said.

On homeowner supports, Chamley said Habitat writes mortgages sized so payments are no more than about 30% of gross income, provides a one‑year construction warranty, designs for energy efficiency and offers ongoing coaching about insurance and tax issues. Tierra Powell said the affiliate passes on information about local property tax assistance resources to homeowners when available.

Councilmembers asked about demand, efficiency and scaling. Chamley said Habitat typically receives roughly 10 qualified applications for each house built and emphasized the need for more resources to close the gap between demand and supply. On scaling, he described an organizational goal of "exponential" growth in production but declined to provide a firm five‑year unit target while planning remains under way.

The committee did not take legislative action; the presentation closed after questions and discussion. Chair Jeffries filed the meeting item and adjourned the Housing & Growth Committee.

Ending: Habitat for Humanity said it will continue to work with city staff, the Port, the Land Bank and neighborhood groups on planned projects; no votes or funding commitments were made at the meeting.