A new 80-unit permanent supportive housing development for veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people who have been homeless has opened in Cincinnati.
Developed by National Church Residences, the $11.5 million Commons at South Cumminsville features semi-furnished one-bedroom apartments along with programming and services to help residents build self-sufficiency.
It is the nonprofit organization’s first permanent supportive housing community in Cincinnati.
On-site support provided by Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services includes social workers, vocational and educational instruction, as well as social activities. Among the amenities are a laundry room, a classroom, a fitness center, a medical home suite, a meeting room, and a resource center with computer and internet access.
“For nearly two decades, National Church Residences has served formerly homeless and disabled individuals across Ohio and in Georgia,” said Mark Ricketts, president and CEO of National Church Residences. “Our permanent supportive housing model is designed to empower residents of the Commons at South Cumminsville to become healthy, stable members of the community by improving their physical, mental, and financial health. We couldn’t achieve those objectives without the help of key partners here in Cincinnati. In fact, this exceptional collaboration has led to the property receiving one of only six 2021 Secretary’s Awards for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships—awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Council on Foundations.”
Partnering with National Church Residences were local community development corporation Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) and neighborhood sponsor South Cumminsville Community Council.
Financial partners that made the project possible include the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, KeyBank, HOME funds from city of Cincinnati, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, The Home Depot Foundation, and Strategies to End Homelessness.
“On behalf of WIN, I’d like to share how excited we are that National Church Residences chose to invest in the South Cumminsville community,” said Sister Barbara Busch, WIN’s executive director. “By providing a safe, affordable, and desirable living environment, the residents of the Commons at South Cumminsville will be able to focus on achieving their personal goals related to self-sufficiency.”
National Church Residences owns and operates seven permanent supportive housing communities in Ohio, serving 655 residents.
