The lack of safe, affordable housing is at a crisis point in our community. Always in short supply, two serious recessions have caused a sharp increase in poverty and insecure, low-wage employment. As many as 40,000 households are “costburdened” (paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent or a mortgage), fear eviction, or experience homelessness.

So it’s good news that so many people and organizations are addressing the crisis and undertaking some promising solutions.

A wide collaboration has developed a comprehensive community-wide strategy and recommendations (https://www.lisc.org/greater-cincinnati/what-we-do/housing/strategy/). Several organizations are providing or developing affordable housing options and people are determined to make real progress.

Tune in to learn more. Blume will introduce the topic and focus on possible solutions to the crisis. Berry, Delaney, and Rivers will explain their successful projects and how they made them happen.

WCC will present a second forum, “ Pros and Cons of a Proposed Charter Amendment to Fund Cincinnati’s Housing Trust Fund,” on February 18, 6:30. Details about speakers and registration TBA.