Housing Action Plans 

Hamilton County Department of Planning + Development has teamed up with LISC Greater Cincinnati and the Community Building Institute (CBI) to develop housing action plans for participating jurisdictions. The team recently completed five housing action plans and is eager to work with other communities. Housing action plans build on the countywide housing strategy, Housing Our Future, by customizing recommendations based on unique community and housing market characteristics.

CDBG MINI-Grant Planning PROGRAM

WHAT IS THE MINI GRANT PROGRAM?

The CDBG grant can be used for planning projects as part of program administration. Since 2015, the Board of County Commissioners have allocated $100,000 annually for this purpose be awarded to local governments outside the City of Cincinnati in Participating Jurisdictions for small planning projects.  (The City of Cincinnati receives separate grants from HUD.)

HOW MUCH ARE THE GRANTS?

The maximum award is $40,000.

Eligible Uses:

Grant funds can be used for a variety of planning needs, including, but not limited to: bicycle and pedestrian trails; business district redevelopment; community visioning; and strategic planning. These grants should set the stage for future CDBG and HOME projects.

Specifically, future projects can include affordable housing programs or projects using HOME funds or meet the national objectives for the CDBG program to:  

• Benefit residents and businesses in a low to moderate income areas,
• Create or retain jobs for low to moderate income employees, and/or
• Remove slum and/or blight conditions.

Activity Type that should result from planning process:

• Acquisition of property (e.g. Assemble land for redevelopment)
• Demolition of property (e.g. Clearance for redevelopment)
• Rehabilitation of building(s) (e.g. Private or publicly owned buildings are eligible)
• Public infrastructure improvements (e.g. Construction or extension of streets, construction or extension of utilities, improving flood and drainage systems, etc. )
• Public facility improvements (e.g. Improvements which would create jobs, and/or benefit low to moderate income persons)
• Affordable Housing Projects (e.g. provide funds for rental or owner-occupied affordable housing projects or programs)

What is the selection process?

• Full applications for eligible projects will be reviewed by staff for completeness.
• Review committee includes all Planning Partnership Executive Steering Committee members and two Community Development Advisory Committee members.
• Funding recommendations will be made to the County Administrator for approval.
• Staff will notify communities of awards and meet with each community to begin each project.

How to Apply:

The pre-application period is open from April 29, 2022 through May 13, 2022.

Submit your pre-application via Neighborly by May 13, 2022 to determine if your project is eligible. You will then be notified if you can proceed with the remainder of the application.

Here is the link to access Neighborly: https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/hamiltoncountyoh/Participant. You will need to register for a free account in order to submit an application. 

questions?

Please submit questions to [email protected] .

WHO CAN APPLY?

Only local governments who participate in the County’s HUD grant program can apply for these funds. Each community can submit ONLY one application per year.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS:

2022 Timeline:

• Announcement – April 19, 2022
• Q&A Zoom Meeting – April 29 at 11am
• Pre-application Deadline – May 13, 2022, 4:00 PM
• Application Deadline – May 27, 2022, 4:00 PM
• Review by Mini Planning Grant Committee – Week of June 6
• Recommendations to County Administration – by June 24, 2022
• Notification of Selected Proposals – by July 8, 2022
• Planning Grant Expenditure Deadline – June 30, 2023

What projects are eligible?

Grant funds can be used for a variety of planning needs, including, but not limited to: bicycle and pedestrian trails; market studies; business district redevelopment; community visioning; and strategic planning. 

Specifically, funded plans should inform affordable housing development or should meet the national objectives for the CDBG program to:   

• Benefit residents and businesses in a low to moderate income areas,
• Create or retain jobs for low to moderate income employees, and/or
• Remove slum and/or blight conditions.

You can find examples of past plans below.

What projects have been funded in the past?

2015:

• Mt. Healthy’s Uptown Business District Study to a market study to examine and report on strategies to help improve Mt. Healthy’s business district.
• City of Reading’s Mill Creek Recreational Trails and Flood Storage Plan to identify the most feasible route for the Mill Creek Greenway and connecting it with the City of Reading as well as identifying areas for flood storage on city-owner properties with the goal of removing areas of the city from the 100 year flood plain.
• City of Cleves’s Business District Redevelopment Plan studying the business corridor along Miami Ave through visual survey and mapping, preliminary market review, and the creation of a comprehensive Business District Master Plan.
• Village of Elmwood Place’s Merger Study; this project ultimately did not move forward. The project would have studied the possibility of a merging of Elmwood Place with St. Bernard
• Village of North Bend’s Riverfront Recreational Plan to create a recreational area for residents of both the Village of Cleves and the Village of North Bend located in North Bend along the river.

2016:

• City of Loveland’s Loveland-Madeira Business Corridor Bikeway Feasibility Study.  Evaluate and pursue the best alternatives to create a permanent pedestrian/bike path connecting Historic Downtown to Loveland Madeira Road.
• Village of Silverton’s Small Area Plan.  Create streetscape designs along Montgomery road between Stewart and Plainfield Roads.
• Village of Lockland’s Revitalization of Wyoming Avenue.  Seek community input at several public meetings and through a mailed survey. Using community feedback, site plans will be created by consultants for the former Stearns and Foster industrial site in the center of the Wyoming Avenue Business District. Students from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) will work on integrating design and public art into the Lockland business districts along Wyoming Avenue.
• Delhi Township’s Economic Impact Analysis Plan for the Delhi Pike Bike Path Project.  Develop estimates of the installation and maintenance costs and quantify expected use rates.  Evaluate bike path’s impact on Mount St. Joseph University enrollment, private enterprise, property values, and other economic benefits to the community
• Village of Woodlawn’s Strategic Planning Process.  Use new energy to build on 2007 Master Plan to identify critical priorities and establish long term goals.

2017:

 No funding was allocated in 2017 for the program.

2018:

• Colerain Township– Northgate Mall Redevelopment Study, a marketing study to understand the potential for a residential development at the Northgate Mall.
• City of Deer Park  – Blue Ash Road Business District Implementation Plan to fund a market study and perspective rendering of the four blocks included in the business district.
• Amberley Village– Amberley Green Connectivity Plan to study and plan the pedestrian and vehicle connectivity to the Amberly Green property.
• City of Reading– Master Plan Update, updating the 2008 City of Reading Master Plan to help position the city for future growth and redevelopment.
• City of Mt. Healthy– Main Theater Planning Study, a package of planning studies that represent the first stage of the process of renovating the Main Theater to a mixed-use entertainment venue.

2019:

• City of Cheviot – Business District Study, examine its transitioning business districts through an Urban Land Institute-Cincinnati Technical Assistance Panel that will analyze the business climate and make recommendations to spur development
• Village of Madeira – Miami Avenue Traffic Study, complete a traffic study of Miami Avenue along its business district to improve safety for pedestrians and motorists through traffic calming based on recommendations from the City’s comprehensive plan
• City of Sharonville – Downtown Loop Plan, follow up on themes from the Sharonville 2030 plan to examine improvement of streetscape and public spaces in the Downtown Loop which supports the broader goal of a more pedestrian friendly downtown.
• Village of Silverton – Beer & Wine District Plan, study the creation of a Beer and Wine District on two blocks of Plainfield Road which will help create a downtown-like district for the Village.

2020:

• City of Norwood Montgomery Road Development Plan - Norwood Together, the City of Norwood, the Norwood Chamber of Commerce, residents, HCDC, Xavier, and investors will come together to create a shared vision for the central business district extending from Xavier University at Dana Avenue to the Norwood Lateral.
• Village of Lincoln Heights Master Plan/Land Use Element - The development of an updated Existing Land Use Map, Future Land Use Map, supporting land use classifications, zoning codes and ordinances will aid the Village in its continuing efforts to remove slum and/or blight conditions, attract new (affordable and market rate) residential, commercial and industrial development and redevelopment. 
• Village of Silverton Interim Comprehensive Plan Update - A comprehensive plan update will weave the various elements of several smaller plans together into a policy document that gives the community clear direction for the next three years.
• City of Sharonville Bike Trail Feasibility Study: Connecting Downtown, People, and Parks - a preliminary bike trail feasibility analysis using CityEngine 3-D Software.
• Activating Cheviot’s Commercial Overlay District - Components of the proposed study would include:  database of existing buildings and their capacities, recommendations to bring vacant and underutilized buildings back to life, schedule of streetscape improvements and source funding, and identification of opportunities for new entrepreneurs.

2021:

• Deer Park Housing Action Plan -  A comprehensive look at housing in Deer Park. Hamilton County Planning and Development partnered with LISC Greater Cincinnati and Community Building Institute to look at the following issues: Demographics, Housing stock, Home sales, Home loans, Rent, and Existing affordable housing. They also conducted community interviews. Recommendations are given for future housing.

previous project documents: