Residents concerned about high concentration of low-income housing

In the West End, low-income housing tax credit units doubled to 1,750 between 2005 and 2021, according to a discrimination complaint against the city of Cincinnati that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development accepted this month. Only 623 units exist in all city neighborhoods with a population that’s at least 75% white.

Residents and city leaders have said the high concentration of low-income housing has hurt property values in those areas and increased social ills.

Gary Painter, PhD, the academic director of the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business real estate program and a professor of real estate, said cities want to help as many low-income residents as possible by building more subsidized housing. Land is less expensive in high poverty areas, making them desirable for developments, but that can lead to other problems.

“For children in particular, (there are) worse outcomes in school and ultimately more exposure to violence and crime, and a whole set of outcomes that decrease the likelihood that you’ll have a living wage career,” Painter said.

Ultimately, Painter thinks the complaint against the city could lead to positive outcomes.

“Sometimes lawsuits are opportunities to listen to each other differently; it forces that,” Painter said. “There’s a reason why people are upset and simply listening but not taking action based on what people are saying will likely lead to more conflict.”

See more from WCPO.