Almost two years after Cincinnati City Council approved zoning changes for the project, a 44-unit permanent supportive housing development in Over-the-Rhine is slated to break ground Wednesday.
The project at Dunlap and Henry streets is called Gloria's Place and is being built by Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and Model Group.
It will feature wraparound services including case management for people leaving homelessness. Studies have suggested the permanent supportive housing model increases housing stability and long-term positive outcomes for residents.
OTRCH Director of Real Estate Development Ben Eilerman says it's a vital addition to Cincinnati's housing stock, which is thousands of units short when it comes to housing for low-income individuals and families.
"The project is meant to house the most vulnerable in our community — those who have been on the streets for a long time," Eilerman said.
But it's also been controversial. While some in the surrounding neighborhood have supported the development, others wrote letters to the city opposing it, citing density concerns and asserting there is an over concentration of social service organizations nearby.
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Previous zoning laws only allowed for 14 units on the parcel prior to Council's 2022 decision exempting the project from that restriction.
But Cincinnati resident Mark Miller sued OTRCH and the city over Council's decision.
That legal battle has wound its way through the courts. A Hamilton County judge dismissed the suit in December last year, but Miller appealed to the First District Court of Appeals, which also decided against him. He's taken his case to the Ohio Supreme Court, which has not indicated if it will hear the matter.
Eilerman says the legal battle has delayed the project and added to its expense. But he says the city's zoning reform efforts made it possible for the project to move forward.
"One thing that really helped us and allowed us get to this point is the passage of the Connected Communities ordinance," Eilerman said. "This parcel, because it is located close to a streetcar line, has no restrictions on density whatsoever. So all of a sudden, we could put our 44 units there."
Eilerman says construction is expected to take about 18 months.