HomeBase Cincinnati

OUR MISSION

To support the work of community development corporations in the City of Cincinnati as they strengthen their neighborhoods through affordable housing, place and space development, quality of life improvements, and economic development.

OUR VISION

A Greater Cincinnati nationally recognized as a region comprised of thriving communities built upon the strategic, social, and economic investments reflective of the places they serve.

OUR HISTORY

Homebase Cincinnati (Homebase), formerly Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati, has served forty-plus years in the community. Homebase is an organization of inspired community members, developers, funders, legal professionals, and community partners. We provide the fundamental framework and resources to our Community Development Corporation (CDC) members in the Greater Cincinnati area, so they can help neighborhoods realize their vibrancy, attract new employers, improve residents’ financial well-being, and enhance public health.

Neighborhood Work Example - What your Funding can Support.

The Sedamsville Civic Association (SCA) requested just $200 from HomeBase's Infrastructure Support to host a neighborhood event to catalyze resident engagement with the association’s members to establish presence, but more importantly to begin conversations regarding the future of the neighborhood. HomeBase co-hosted the ice cream social in Bold Face Park, to attract residents to engage with the civic association and to physically interact with Bold Face Park and the renovations occurring to there. 

During the event, open ended questions on post-card sized, anonymous surveys were given to residents to fill out, the questions included; What has been your experience as a Sedamsville resident? 

What do you like/dislike the most about living here? 

What changes do you think would improve the neighborhood? What can the SCA do to encourage your attendance at meetings and to improve communication? 

Besides scooping free ice cream cones to the kiddos and adults of Sedamsville, this engagement and feedback event was a major first step toward cultivating and achieving resident buy-in and engagement for future community-led change and improvement.

HomeBase and the five civic association members worked together to staff and manage the event and engage with citizens to discuss what they need from, and what changes they would like to see, in their community. ~50 residents stopped by over the three hours of the event, meeting the SCA members, and learning how they can get involved with future community-based events. Giving residents a space to “reimagine” Sedamsville comes at a crucial moment in time for the community as Sedamsville has quite a bit of focus on it from the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County level. 

In 2020, The Port of Cincinnati and the Land Bank acquired the “Klosterman Properties,” a set of 42 rental properties and a vacant church, that were under the control of a terrible slum lord for decades, who was the source of heinous trauma to many women and people. Finally, Sedamsville’s neighborhood community development plan is 20 years old, and new community strategic plans require and need considerable amount of community engagement and buy in to make progress happen.

And those first steps in change are beginning to snowball as the Civic Association has since hosted a community trunk or treat, and has plans for a winter community engagement with local police and fire fighters. Additionally, the community is making its collective voice known regarding the need for more frequent Metro services for residents to access fresh food up the hill in Price Hill, as well as other future thinking needs and wants to benefit the community. This all has been catalyzed from $200.