A city-funded pilot program has paid for sidewalk repairs at nearly 60 residential properties in Cincinnati.
Repairs are legally the responsibility of the homeowner, but Council member Anna Albi says it can be a burden to low-income residents. She introduced the $100,000 pilot program; it was funded in the city's capital budget and launched last summer.
"Sidewalks, to me, are just so important with how we engage in our community, whether you are someone who's just walking your dog, taking your kid down to the nearest park, waiting for the bus," Albi told WVXU.
The city manager's office released a report Friday outlining the program's reach. The funding will soon be fully depleted, with 58 properties repaired at an average cost of $1,700.
The pilot was limited to seven neighborhoods where the median household income is below $50,000. These seven were also chosen because they are geographically close to each other, making repairs more efficient.
Distribution of repairs by neighborhod:
- East Westwood - 20 properties
- Villages at Roll Hill - 0 properties
- South Cummingsville - 12 properties
- Millvale - 1 property
- English Woods - 0 properties
- North Fairmount - 17 properties
- South Fairmount - 8 properties
The report says 63 homeowners requested to participate; after inspections on each property, the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering determined 58 met the eligiblity criteria. Of those, 55 properties have completed repairs and three are scheduled for early spring 2026.
"I'm excited about these results," Albi said. "I really want to extend this program, and [I'm] looking forward to learning more and seeing how we can help more people."
A recent resident survey showed only 19% of Cincinnatians are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the condition of sidewalks in the city overall (compared to 41% average in other cities with at least 250,000 population); 22% of Cincinnatians are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the condition of sidewalks in their own neighborhood.
Albi says she'll advocate for funding the program again in the next city budget. Council is in early stages of that process, with a final vote necessary by the end of June.
Read more:
