Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement Walking Tours

The Homeless Coalition’s Social Justice Walking Tour focuses on the historical and contemporary struggles and successes of the Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement. Tours take you through the streets, alleys, and parks of the neighborhood and clarify the meaning and direction of decades of neglect and today’s investment. Learn and see for yourself what gentrification looks like and how displacement affects community members.

Topics covered include:

Cincinnati History
Housing Laws and Discrimination
Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement
Hostile Design and Architecture
Privatization and loss of Public Space
Non-profit advocacy and service organizations
Single Room Occupancies (SRO’s)
Cincinnati’s 2001 Rebellion against police brutality
Gentrification and displacement

Depending on time constraints, you may visit a social service organization to see what their day-to-day operations look like. It’s a great way to learn about social service agencies in the neighborhood as well. Tours can be tailored to your group and typically last between 1 and 2 hours.

Cost: $80/Group (max 20 in each group). Sign up today below or at the general registration page: https://cincihomeless.org/please-register-your-education-event-here/

Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement History Tour

Time: 2 hours

Distance: 1 mile

Part 1: Introduction outside of the Homeless Coalition (30 minutes). Cincinnati history, including Native American history, colonial history, immigration history, and the influence of racism in housing (and many other aspects of life) in Cincinnati.

Part 2: Making several walking stops throughout the neighborhood (90 minutes). Introduction to the Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement and visiting places and hearing stories about how people in the neighborhood have come together to ensure that people (who have been historically pushed from their homes), maintain their ability to stay in Over-the-Rhine, regardless of economic and social impacts. Also, this tour shows how Hostile Design is used and the impact of the loss of public space. Direct and indirect Gentrification are explained and seen through real-life examples. This tour ends at Washington Park.

Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement Today Tour

Time: 2 hours

Distance: 2 miles

On this tour, we visit several sites to learn more about how housing and public space are being transformed, and the impact of local residents. Over-the-Rhine has lost thousands of housing units in just a few short years due to massive changes in investment (public and private) in housing and public space, such as parks. We learn about tenant organizing, the impact of nuisance property and housing codes, how non-profit organizations are changing within this landscape, what public-private partnerships do to the availability of affordable housing, and what development is happening around Findlay Market. We learn about, and see the impact of SIDs, TIFs, Tax Abatement, and other programs.

West End Today Tour

Time: 2 hours

Distance: 2 miles

This is a newly developed tour that focuses on the impact of the FCC Cincinnati Stadium project in the West End neighborhood, adjacent to Over-the-Rhine. We see how the construction project has impacted the lives of individuals living in Over-the-Rhine and the West End. We visit locations where tenants organized to save their homes, including a 99 year-old woman who was bedridden and another family whose 15 year-old teen drew editorial cartoons depicting the City and the FCC Cincinnati organization pushing them from their homes. We learn about the structure and limitations of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and the overall impact of this project on both neighborhoods.

Ohio Riverfront Tour

Time: 2 hours

Distance 2 miles

This tour takes participants to the banks of the Ohio River, where the city of Cincinnati first began. We examine the role of the colonists and settlers in Cincinnati, the impact of the Civil War, and the role race continues to play in the inclusion/exclusion of communities. In addition to historical topics, we also cover contemporary issues like the removal of the Anna Louise Inn for Women, the encampments and current federal lawsuit against the City of Cincinnati, and role of development at the Banks in the privatization of public space.

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