City Planning and Engagement

Background

The Property Tax Working Group was established by City Council in September of 2018 with the purpose of crafting a strategy to protect seniors, legacy residents, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable homeowners in Cincinnati from displacement as their neighborhoods see growth and new investment, particularly due to increased property taxes. The group evaluated trends and best practices from across the nation, and ultimately produced a report of several recommendations that would help to accomplish this goal in July of 2020 (view the full report here). One of these recommendations was the following:

• Section III: Other Measures
  Recommendation 1
  Change the Zoning Code to permit accessory dwelling units/granny flats with stipulations that:

  • Either the larger or smaller residence must be occupied as the primary residence by the owner more than 75% of the year.

  •  Require landlord training on fair housing, sample rental contracts, landlord best practices, and more.

As a result, the Department of City Planning and Engagement began to research the topic of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). A detailed report was produced in November of 2020 that outlined what an ADU is, the benefits and challenges, implementation components, the economic impact of ADU policies, and recommendations and considerations. This report concluded with the following recommendation:

• Staff recommends that the City of Cincinnati pursue the inclusion of ADUs in the Zoning Code. An ADU policy would address the intentions of the Property Tax Working Group and additional housing needs. ADUs have the potential to provide housing for different family sizes and configurations and people with varying incomes and needs. Additionally, an ADU policy is consistent with multiple strategies within Plan Cincinnati (2012). It supports the City’s commitment to increasing its AARP Livability Index score and being a community for people of all ages.

Full ADU Report

As per the recommendations of the report, a series of community engagement meetings were held to discuss specifics of the potential policy by Councilmember Mark Jeffreys in October of 2022. (View ADU Conversations Feedback Report)

The proposed ordinance was crafted and referred to the Department of City Planning & Engagement on March 28, 2023. It was unanimously approved by the City Planning Commission on June 2, 2023. A B-version of the ordinance was then crafted to establish an effective date of October 2, 2023, which was approved by the Equitable Growth and Housing Council Committee on June 21, 2023, and full Council on June 26, 2023.

Full ADU Ordinance (B-Version)

Public Meetings

• Invest in Neighborhoods Engagement Session
  Monday, March 27, 2023 at 6:00 PM, virtually on Teams.

• Public Staff Conference
  Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 6:00 PM, virtually on Zoom.
  ▸ View the meeting presentation

• City Planning Commission
  Friday, June 2, 2023 at 9:00 AM, virtually on Zoom and in-person at City Hall.

• City Council Equitable Growth and Housing Committee
  Tuesday, June 21, 2023 at 1:00 PM
  Held virtually on Zoom and in-person at City Hall
  ▸ View the meeting presentation

• Full City Council
  Monday, June 26, 2023 at 1:30 PM
  Held virtually on Zoom and in-person at City Hall