Northern Kentucky organizations are holding data walks across the region to help form a community-driven housing strategy.
The data walk consists of poster stations with information from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District’s housing study released last year. The study was conducted on housing needs and workforce across Campbell, Kenton, Boone, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Owen and Pendleton counties. The data walks aim to share information from the study with the communities they are hosted in.
Thus far, public input sessions have been held in Hebron and two in Newport, with one tentatively scheduled for Erlanger/Elsmere in July.
The data walks are an effort between the Brighton Center, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky Area Development District.
“As we work with leaders across the region to find strategies to bolster income-aligned housing, it’s important for Brighton Center and our partners to hear how our current housing landscape is impacting residents,” said Wonda Winkler, President & CEO of Brighton Center. “Specifically, these open house sessions give us direct feedback on the housing study data and potential solutions that might best align with our communities’ needs.”
When community members participate in the data walk, they are given a packet with information to fill out as they go to each station. The packet has questions like calculating your housing cost burden, household income, current housing situation, top five priorities in choosing a home, how long you’ve lived in your home, whether you would prefer to rent or own if finances weren’t a barrier, whether you commute, etc.
Each participant walks through each poster with a guide so that questions can be answered as they go.
The first poster of information the community is greeted with is facts from the housing study about Northern Kentucky’s population, which is 403,792, in Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties.
The next station gives more insight into what income-aligned housing is.
According to the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, income-aligned housing means that the monthly cost of housing (rent or mortgage payment and utilities) is not more than 30% of the household’s income. It is considered a burden if the household pays more than 30%.
The housing study found that one in four households in Northern Kentucky is experiencing a housing cost burden.
The third poster in the walk covered the average income levels of folks in Northern Kentucky, as found in the study.
Currently, 60% of regional employees earn an annual salary of $60,000 or less. Further, the study revealed that the number of individuals earning in that income range is expected to grow 67% over the next five years.
The next information set was about the region’s current housing supply versus the current need.
The study shows that for every household earning $60,000 or less, one income-aligned housing unit is available for every two households.
“One of the big findings from the housing study is that workforce job creation in Northern Kentucky is outpacing workforce housing availability,” said Tara Johnson-Noem, Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. “Already in our region, there are 2.21 workforce jobs for each housing unit available for our workforce populations – those who generate an annual average salary below $60,000.
A diverse stock of income-aligned housing “ensures that we have homes for everyone from C-suite executives, fixed-income seniors, our teachers and nurses, and college graduates,” said Johnson-Noem.
Based on anticipated growth, the study shows that Northern Kentucky needs 6,650 additional income-aligned housing units over the next five years to meet the demand.
The fifth poster shows that future regional housing development should focus on smaller units instead of four-plus-bedroom houses.
The poster graphic shows that the region has prioritized three- and four-bedroom developments over one- and two-bedroom developments. The chart shows a 42% decline in four-bedroom units, a 1% increase in three-bedrooms, a 28% increase in two-bedrooms, and a 12% increase in one-bedroom units to fill the region’s need in the next five years.
This section of the walk also shows the need for more multifamily housing options versus single-family detached units.
The next poster shows the region’s rental needs, specifically, that rental properties should account for a more significant portion of future housing development.
The graph shows the need for a 28% increase in rental units with a 28% decrease in owner-occupied housing. The study notes that rental units have been lost in Newport, Covington, and Bellevue to be turned into single-family homes or short-term rentals.
“Workforce is top of mind for all employers, including CVG,” said Seth Cutter, Vice President of Public Affairs Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. “Having an ample supply of income-aligned housing is fundamental for our region to meet our basic economic needs and ensure sustainable regional growth so that Northern Kentucky continues to be a great place to live, work, play, learn and give back.”
The last poster in the walk covers the key takeaways from the study.
- In Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, the study shows that there are more jobs than housing units available.
- There are more single-family houses with three and four bedrooms than what is needed.
- More housing unities are needed in these counties to keep up with the demand for new jobs.
“After the NKADD housing study was released, we resolved to take action to develop creative and collaborative solutions to ensure ample availability of income-aligned housing in our region,” Cutter said. “Along with the eight fiscal courts, NKADD, CVG, Brighton Center, United Way of Greater Cincinnati,LISC, NKY Chamber, and many others, we formed a coalition of local partners who are collaborating to formulate a community-driven, income-aligned housing strategy.”
Community members can share their thoughts and feedback at the end of the data walk. They are asked three questions at the end:
- What stood out to you after reviewing the presented information?
- Has what you have seen and learned today aligned with your housing experience? If so, how?
- What would you like to see happen as a result of this study?
Brighton Center is interested in working with other organizations on these listening sessions. Organizations interested in hosting a session can email them here.
