If Cincinnati's Walls Could Talk

S3E9: Conclusion: The Challenges We Face and Reasons to Hope

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Guest Interviewee: Kathy Schwab

Hosted By: Logan Price, Arthur Schmid

Written By: Logan Price  

Produced By: Teddy Morgan-Jablonski

Edited By: Harris Eidelman

Researched By: Asmita Gurung, Samiha Tasnima

 

Episode Description:

Welcome to the concluding episode of the third series of If Cincinnati’s Walls Could Talk, a podcast collaboratively produced by our Housing Systems class, taught by Doctor

Hayden Shelby. This series has focused on the financing of affordable housing, exploring the complexities and opportunities in addressing the housing crisis.

 

In this final episode, our hosts revisit the fundamental questions: What is housing, and why is it so important? They reflect on insights from a veteran housing advocate Kathy Schwab, whom our team got a chance to interview, discussing the challenges and aspirations for Cincinnati’s affordable housing landscape.

Key topics include:

The findings of the Housing Our Future report, which sets an ambitious goal to build 20,000 affordable units by 2030 yet highlights the struggle with only 3,329 units completed to date.

Persistent challenges like Hamilton County’s limited success in securing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), the
complexities of “Baklava Financing” and the absence of well-funded “Super CDC” similar to those in Columbus or Cleveland.

 

Despite these challenges, the episode ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing growing public awareness of the housing crisis. The hosts urge listeners to recognize housing as a fundamental human right and advocate for meaningful change.

 

Episode Timeline:

 

·     Why it Matters- 00:00

·     Affordable Housing in Cincinnati- 02:15

·     Challenges We Still Face- 03:21

·     Reason to Hope- 05:55 

 

References:

Housing Our Future Summary of Progress 2020 -2023, (2023).

LISC Greater Cincinnati.

https://www.lisc.org/media/filer_public/b4/13/b413c178-735a-43c9-8ec9f375d23571b7/hof_summary_of_progress.pdf

 

Housing Our Future Strategies for Cincinnati and Hamilton

County, (2020, May). Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

https://www.gcfdn.org/wp content/uploads/2020/07/housing_our_future_-_5-27 2020.pdf

 

Housing Affordability in Hamilton County, (2017, February). LISC Greater Cincinnati.

https://www.lisc.org/media/filer_public/a1/16/a116fbab 4be3-4704-98e6 83f633b7d893/asset_upload_file30_13212.pdf

 

Cincinnati’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund Available for Use Four Years after Being Established, (2022, October 3). National Low Income Housing Coalition. https://nlihc.org/resource/cincinnatis-affordable-housing-trust-fund-available-use-four-years-after-being-established

 

Costello, B. (2023, May 23). Just one project in Hamilton County will get a low-income housing tax credit this year. 91.7 WVXU News. https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2023-05-23/hamilton-county-low-income-housing-tax-credit-spaeth-kelly-hall

 

Thank you to our Professor Hayden Shelby and Guest

interviewee Kathy Schwab.

Written by Logan Price

Hosted by Logan Price and Arthur Schmid

Produced by Teddy Morgan-Jablonski

Edited by Harris Eidelman

Researched by Asmita Gurung and Samiha Tasnima

 

Additional resources:

 Interviewee: Kathy Schwab

Local Initiatives Support Corporation: LISC Greater Cincinnati

Low Income Housing Tax Credit: LIHTC

Ohio Low Income Housing Tax Credit: OHLITC

News Article on LIHTC deals in Hamilton County 

Super CDC: Ohio CDC

Super CDC in Columbus: Community Development Collaborative of Greater Columbus

...more
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If Cincinnati's Walls Could TalkBy Hayden Shelby