The Alms Resident Association fought for their housing and won with the help of The Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. This is their story.
Video by Barb Wolf
Click for a complete timeline of their success with attachments: Alms Final Timeline
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:
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/
Update On: Tenants Fighting Displacement
May 30, 2019
Today, FightBack Cincinnati: Wade St. & Central Ave. Tenants United met inside city hall for eight hours, most of which was spent negotiating with FC Cincinnati. For the past two months, Tenants have fought FC Cincinnati’s attempts to displace them from their homes. Tenants have steadily strategized and acted to galvanize members of the general public to support their stand against gentrification and displacement. Tenants garnered the support of a majority of City Council and the support of the Planning Commission. In the face of enormous, life-altering pressure, Tenants refused to be quiet or stop working. This mounted in the leverage Tenants had today to bring FCC more seriously to the table.
As Tenants negotiated, it was of great importance that so many people were in Council chambers speaking boldly and calling for Council to not approve anything for FCC if no agreement was reached with Tenants. Because of the amazing strength of Tenants, the passionate pressure of supporters, the partnership with a majority of City Council Members and members of the Planning Commission, Tenants reached an agreement with FC Cincinnati. This agreement does not make everything FC Cincinnati has done okay and it does not make Tenants whole, but it is significantly beyond where we started. The details of this agreement are not ours to share, but nothing would have happened if we had not all stood strong together.
This is not over. We must hold FC Cincinnati accountable to uphold their end of the agreement and to develop replacement affordable housing. Residents of the West End and all of us must remain vigilant and ready to oppose the threat of displacement this stadium and FC Cincinnati pose. We must continue to implore City Council to pass legislation which prevents displacement for profit and prevents displacement when any city incentive is sought. This, and so many cases of displacement throughout our city could have been prevented and could be prevented in the future with this legislation. Displacement of this nature is occurring almost daily in our city, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition is constantly working with People fighting to save their homes and prevent homelessness. If you want to stay involved in this fight, please let us know.
As FC Cincinnati tries to kick people ages 5 to 99 years old out of their homes, they are also asking the City to give them yet another zoning benefit.
Come say “NO WAY! NO ZONING CHANGE ALLOWED WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO STEAL PEOPLE’S HOMES!”
City Planning Commission Hearing
Friday, May 10th, 9am
Two Centennial Plaza, 805 Central Avenue, 7th Floor
Please send your opposition to FC Cincinnati Zoning Changes to the Planning Commission.
Jeff Berding and FC Cincinnati are asking our City to give them a zoning change for portions of Central Ave., Nome Alley and W. 15th St. Yes, you read correctly, not only do they want us to give them yet another zoning change, now they want to change the zoning of portions of three of our public roadways. Eventually they want to own these public right-of-ways. Click image to see map.
On Friday, May 10 at 9AM there will be a meeting of the City’s Planning Commission where they are scheduled to vote on this. We hope you can make it to this meeting to stand with Tenants. Whether you can or cannot make it, please take the time to send your thoughts on why we should not grant a zoning change to FC Cincinnati while they are still trying to force people out of their homes and have reached no agreement with FightBack Cincinnati: Wade Street & Central Avenue Tenants United. Please include any perspective you may have on why granting these zoning changes would negatively affect those nearby whom FCC is trying to displace, and any negative affect you might see on the community as a whole. We have been told that every communication sent about this will be given to the members of the Commission. You can send your position to: Stacey.Hoffman@cincinnati-oh.gov. Please let us know if you have sent your opposition. To see the current position of the Tenant group, click the image.
#NOfcczoningchange #ISTANDWITHWADECENTRALTENANTS
The meeting will be held at Two Centennial Plaza, Martin Griesel Conference Room, 805 Central Ave., 7th Floor.
Jeff Berding and FC Cincinnati say they purchased 421 Wade and 1559 Central Ave. because they want to control what kind of development happens around their stadium.
Why, in their attempt to control development around their stadium do they want to displace this group of people?
Please come out tomorrow night, April 30 at 6PM to the 2nd Planning Staff Conference. FC Cincinnati is asking our City for zoning changes. We have to continue to tell City Council and the Planning Commission to not vote for any FC Cincinnati zoning change while they are trying to put people out of their homes and have reached no resolution with Tenants.
FightBack Cincinnati: Wade Street and Central Avenue Tenants United, with the support of City Council have even offered FC Cincinnati a compromise: renovate 1559 Central Ave for the people who live there now and allow the folks at 421 Wade to move around the corner into 1559. This is certainly not where the Tenant Group started, but they are trying to get something done.
Please come stand with Tenants fighting save their homes! The meeting will be at Two Centennial Plaza, Martin Griesel Conference Room,805 Central Avenue, 7th Floor
Remember when Jeff Berding said “It doesn’t matter how you got there, when you get there, it’s just that you get there. You want to win!”
He is getting there through displacement but to him it “doesn’t matter”
Remember when he said “The notion that we’re somehow going to try to buy people’s homes out, move people out of the neighborhood, that’s just false. That’s just made up.”?
He Lied.
Do not give FC Cincinnati anything more until the wrongs have been righted. FightBack Cincinnati: Wade st. and Central Ave. wish to remain in their homes.
FC Cincinnati West End Stadium City Of Cincinnati Government Hamilton County, Ohio
FightBack Cincinnati: Wade Street & Central Avenue Tenants United, Issue New Statement.
Click the image of the statement to read what Tenant’s think of FC Cincinnati’s public comments thus far. But before you do, please consider the words of 16-year-old Amier Lane and his 9-year-old sister J’me Rogers at yesterday’s press conference:
“I’ve made a life in this area you know, with my mom and my sisters. I, you know, have a job here, I have friends here, I go to school here and I feel like I shouldn’t have to leave because a bunch of white men in suits with too much money wants us to.” – Amier Lane, age 16
“It’s not right for him [Jeff Berding] to take our homes and kick us out.” What would she tell Jeff Berding if he were there? “I would say, ‘You should go’.” -J’me Rogers, age 9
FC Cincinnati has been reported as stating “they are working with residents” being forced out and that they didn’t know they were displacing a 99 year old resident.
This is untrue. Jeff Berding and FC Cincinnati are not working with tenants to help them find new homes, as they have not reached out to the tenant group FightBack Cincinnati: Wade St. and Central Ave. Tenants United.
Tenants do not want help with displacement. Yesterday they demanded to remain in their homes.
Jeff Berding and FC Cincinnati knew the properties were occupied when purchasing them, as they left Historic LLC as manager until the 30th of April, even though FC owns the properties.
In the photos is the statement FB Cincinnati: Wade st. and Central Ave. Tenants United yesterday demanding their homes not be stolen and a meeting with Jeff Berding.
Many of you have been sharing this article regarding displacement of residents in the West End following the development of the FC Cincinnati Stadium. The folks in this article are not the only people being displaced, across the street at the future site of high end condos, people also received notice to leave by April 30th.
These sites are not in the footprint of the stadium and folks do not have to be displaced for the stadium to be completed.
The landlord is quoted in this article saying: “I was approached by a couple of people, and it became pretty obvious that the environment is changing entirely so that people can’t continue living there.”
Apparently the environment is changing such that People of Color paying with Section 8 vouchers cannot continue to live there, but people paying $220,000 to $300,000 for a condo across the street are more than welcome.
https://www.citybeat.com/…/as-stadium-work-intensifies-in-c…
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We close out each year by joining people across the country in honoring those whose lives have been stolen by the systematic problem of homelessness. We don’t simply gather to honor people in word, we gather to further commit ourselves and our organizations to honor those we have lost by continuing to act, by honing our strategy, by bolstering our resolve and growing the strength of our persons, organizations and coalition.
Please email Josh Spring (joshspring@cincihomeless.org) to let us know about anyone who died in 2019 while experiencing homelessness or as a result of homelessness after reaching housing so that we may include them in our memorial gathering. If you are unable to share a person’s full name, that is okay. If you are able to include a person’s date of birth or age, please do.
We ask that you send the names of those who have died so that we may specifically declare their immeasurable value.
Because this year’s Homeless Memorial Day (December 21, the longest night of the year) falls on a Saturday, we will gather on Friday, December 20 at 5:30pm in Washington Park across from music hall, under the tree where Joann Burton was run over.
Please join us.
From Renter’s Rights to the Homeless Bill of Rights, many of us are in the dark about the legal processes, procedures, and regulations that affect our daily lives. Deadbeat landlords pose a health and safety issue to our neighbors, but what can you do about it? The City and County have teamed up to criminalize homelessness, but what does it really mean? Who stands to benefit?
You can now download and view the pdf presentation: Know Your Rights Homeless Coalition
Watch our 2018 Community Education and Conversation Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GCHomelessCoalition/videos/2229768503761097/
Presentation document: Know Your Rights Homeless Coalition
Know Your City: Resource Event provides those that are currently, recently or on the verge of homelessness or just in need of help and resources; access to one stop shopping for resources and services within our City.
Medical Services
Legal Aid
Vision Screening
Dental Services
Housing Aid
Social Services
Children’s Activities
Portraits
Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Youth Services
Job Programs
Camp Registration
Haircuts
Entertainment
HIV Prevention/Services
For more information or to register as a Volunteer contact:
Mona Jenkins monajenkins@cincihomeless.org
Trista Davis tdavis@sfsministries.org
Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1819191334855533/
Are you a business or corporation that would like assistance with an issue that you are having, or would you just like to make sure your employees and co-workers are more able to respond to issues such as homelessness, panhandling, displacement, and poverty, in general? If so, we have a dynamic program which can be tailored to your needs and time-constraints. From just 1 hour, to a full day, we provide high-quality, well researched, best practices for your business that will enable you to understand:
We understand how difficult it is to navigate the landscape, and we would like to help. We provide an intense, but judgement-free learning environment to make sure everyone feels safe to participate and to learn with an open mind. We hope to build empathy and confidence so that you may have a strong grasp on how to effectively work to eradicate homelessness while operating a successful business.
Please contact the Director of Education, Dr. Mark Mussman (MarkMussman@cincihomeless.org) to set up a date and time, or if you have any questions. Please let us know which topics you are most interested in covering, and if there’s a specific incident you’d like for us to address.
Join the Homeless Coalition, Affordable Housing Advocates, and Streetvibes, for a community forum in the Tower Room of the Downtown Public Library to discuss the crisis of homelessness in Cincinnati. We will talk about the causes of homelessness, dispel some of the myths, and reflect on how to get involved and be a part of the solution.
Watch: https://www.facebook.com/GCHomelessCoalition/videos/1755833334438502/
Some of our member organizations that provide direct services to people who are experiencing homelessness will be also be present to answer any questions. Come learn more about the powerful work they do in our community!
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/536059836786686/
As we get ready for Shantytown and other Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month (October) events, we want to get you on our calendar!
Our Speaker’s Bureau operates year-round, but right now booking up fast for October – so please fill out the registration form today to ensure that we are available to come to you.
The cost of a speaker is only $80 for most groups, half of which goes directly to the speaker. We also have Shantytown groups come to Over-the-Rhine for our Walking Tours and Streetvibes Shadow Activity.
You can sign up for any or all of our empathy-building, stereotype-breaking, fact-finding, eye-opening activities online today:
https://cincihomeless.org/about/education/please-register-your-education-event-here/
This year we’ll include your school on our Shantytown T-shirt! Please consider getting T-shirts to help continue the tradition!
Thank you!
Dr. Mark
