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Affordable housing has become a hot-button issue in Greater Cincinnati over the last few years, garnering media attention, promises from elected officials and no small amount of debate. Here's everything you need to know about affordable housing in Cincinnati.

Politics Chat: Why Issue 3 Never Had A Chance With Cincinnati Voters

Cory Sharber
/
WVXU
In March, firefighters across Cincinnati came to City Hall to voice their opposition to Issue 3, the Affordable Housing Charter Amendment.

Issue 3, the ballot issue that would have committed the city of Cincinnati to placing $50 million a year into an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, was crushed by city voters Tuesday, with only 27% voting yes.

WVXU's Senior Political Analyst Howard Wilkinson spoke with News Director Maryanne Zeleznik about why voters rejected the issue.

It was, Wilkinson says, a poorly conceived plan that had almost universal opposition from the powers-that-be in Cincinnati - labor unions, the business community, all three political parties and most of the candidates in the mayoral primary. And the opposition spent nearly $500,000 to defeat it.

Howard Wilkinson is in his 50th year of covering politics on the local, state and national levels.