As elected leaders, union officials, pastors and housing advocates discuss ways to expand affordable housing in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, one nonprofit leader said he hopes they will keep in mind the importance of preserving affordable housing that already exists in the region.
WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUTE THPUSH TO CREATE MOREAFFORDABLE HOUSING IN GREATERCINCINNATI.BUT WHAT ABOUT THEHOUSING THAT'S ALREADY REHE?OUR LUCY MAY HAS THIS STORYABOUT A LOCAL NONPROFITHELPING W-LOINCOME HOMEOWNERSHOLD ONTO THEIR HOMES."My wife was here wn heImarried her.
She had been heresince1960."WHEN ROBERT MCCRARS Y'WIFEDIEDN I2019, HE MADE APROMISE."Wonderful life together.
Anduh when she passed away, Imade it cleaI r wasn't goingto change nothing that shehave set up in thishouse.""I'm just here, and I'mholding on, trying to make it,you kn, owhold onto thehouse."HE'S BEEN HOLDING ON WITH THEHELP OF PEOPLE WORKINGCOOPERATIVELY - A CINCINNATINORONPFIT BETTER KNOWN ASP-W-C.HANDAI RLINGS, A NEWFURNACE AND THERMOSTAT ANDREPAIRS TO THE GARAGE ARE JUSTSOME OF THE IMOVEMPRENTS THATP-W-C AND ITS VOLUNTEERS HAVEMADE AT MCCRARY'SHOME."I can't name all the thingsthey've done for me over theyears.
They have been really,really greatI .
Meansupernatural great witheverything they'vedone.""Helping people like him ay stin their homes is especiallyimportant in places likeAvondale, where newdevelopment can boost propty ervalues a tndaxbills.""We do essential repairs,emergency repairs, forpeople's homes so they canstay there safely, securelyand mo rehealthfully."JOCK PITTS IS PRESIDENT OF P-W-C."As communities thrive andthey slip back and they comeback again, well it puts a lotof pressure on people.
So whatour work does, it allows themto stay in their homessafely.""We talk about affordablehousing.
And when we talkabout affordable housing, it'sgenerally new development.Well that's not PWC's mission.Our work is preservation ofexisting housing.
It's so muchmore costeffective."MCCRARY SAYS THE WORK HAS MADEALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR HIM.HE'S MAKING PLANS TO ENJOY HISHOUSE EV ENMORE WHEN HISHEALTHIMPROVES."As soon as I get my strengthback and get out of thischai r,the ones that did mygarage, I would like to invitethem over and have a nicecookout for them, and we c anhave somefun."LU MCYAY, WCPO NINE .NEWS
For two months, a camp has grown just west of Downtown in Queensgate for people without a home of their own. Advocates said they..