CINCINNATI — Residents at a Paddock Hills affordable housing complex say they are facing rent increases of more than 100%. It comes about one year after some moved into what they thought would be long-term, affordable housing.
Victory Vistas apartments, built with a $1 million city incentive and federal tax credits, notified residents earlier this year that their rent would increase dramatically. Carol Brown, who lives in an ADA-accessible one-bedroom unit, said her rent is jumping from $494 to $1,154 per month.
"That's more than a lot of people get in their income," Brown said.
Brown attended the groundbreaking for the development and says many people fought to have the building constructed despite community opposition.
"There [were] community councils that didn't even want a building here, period. And so to fight to get that here, I think it made a big difference," Brown said.
Resident Tanya Wilson said the building has been well-maintained and has become her home after she and her husband decided to downsize.
"We have people here [who] take care of the building. All the residents, you know, take care of the building, and we don't have a problem," Wilson said.
Sandra Roberts, another resident, said the increases caught everyone off guard.
"The increase to all of us was totally unexpected," Roberts said.
Phil Rich, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati who is representing some residents, says he believes the property owners, Kingsley + Co., are violating agreements made to secure government funding.
"They promised, you know, at least 11 individuals that they had these. They moved in based on that promise. A lot of them gave up subsidized housing to move in," Rich said.
Rich claims Kingsley + Co. wants to replace current residents with those holding Section 8 vouchers, which would allow the company to receive higher payments subsidized by the housing authority.
On Wednesday, residents packed Cincinnati City Council chambers seeking help from city leaders. Mayor Aftab Pureval, who attended the building's groundbreaking in December 2023, appeared visibly upset.
"I was there a year ago on a joyous occasion of building affordable housing in Paddock Hill and Avondale, specifically for our most vulnerable communities, our senior citizens. And then a year later, this developer is going to increase rents over 100%?" Pureval said. "It's wrong, and I'm personally committing to all of you, you every single one of you, that what I and this city can do to right this wrong we will."
Roberts made an emotional plea to city leaders.
"You know we can plead, and we say a lot of prayers," Roberts said. "Please don't do this to us ... not to us, not to anybody else."
Watch: The developer of the complex responds to the claims
The development company is owned by former Cincinnati Bengals player Chinedum Ndukwe, who wore a wire for the FBI for 18 months at City Hall, leading to charges against former city councilmen PG Sittenfeld and Jeff Pastor. I spoke to him exclusively. Ndukwe said his tenants are still paying their original rent while the company works on a solution.
"Once we understood the significance of those increases, we paused, and people have been paying the same rent that they've been paying for the last year," Ndukwe said.
He disputed claims that residents are being evicted or threatened with eviction.
"There's some concept that we're evicting people, and that's not reality," Ndukwe said. "No eviction notices have been sent to residents, and if it's up to us, none will be sent to them."
Ndukwe said the rent increase issue arose because the property management company, which is not owned or operated by Ndukwe, "leased too many units at 30% AMI" — referring to Area Median Income levels that determine affordability requirements under federal tax credit programs.
He said his company has been working directly with city officials since October to find a solution.
"We've been in touch with the housing director, Roy Hackworth, Markiea Carter, and proactively reached out to the city as well," Ndukwe said. "We're in the business of providing housing, not providing residents with displacement options."
WATCH: How residents reacted to the increase
Ndukwe also disputed claims that his company is out of compliance with federal or local requirements.
"There's no one that the city of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, has told us that we are not in compliance," Ndukwe said.
I'm told Ndukwe's company has brought in new property management and compliance staff as they work to address the situation.
"We're very sensitive to making sure that our seniors are properly taken care of," Ndukwe said.
We attempted to speak with Ndukwe more about the complex Monday, but he denied further comment, citing an investigation by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
