DELHI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Hamilton County and a number of partners cut the ribbon on new affordable housing in Delhi Township Wednesday.
Hope Cottage will soon be home to four people with developmental disabilities through a partnership between St. John's Church, EmpowerMe Living, Kendall Building Group, Cincinnati Development Fund and Ohio Valley Residential Services.
“(Hope Cottage) is ultimately is about more than housing. It’s about creating places to belong,” said Emily Kendall, the co-founder of EmpowerMe Living and Kendall Building Group.
The model of Hope Cottage is something that officials say is lacking in the current Cincinnati-area housing market.
WATCH: How Hope Cottage is a major step forward for Hamilton County
“No matter where you live in Hamilton County, it should be accessible, it should be safe and you should be able to live independently,” said Hamilton County Commission Vice President Alicia Reece.
According to a study done by EmpowerMe Living, 79% of people with developmental disabilities want to live independently, but the reality is that many of them can’t.
Between Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties, there are over 47,500 people living with developmental disabilities. Of those, nearly 12,000 have a caregiver over 60 years old.
“There is this ticking time effect because at a certain point, caregivers will no longer be alive or face their own health implications," Kendall said.
Despite the need for this type of housing, it’s often limited or unattainable due to financial or health constraints.
Marlena wants to hear from you. You can contact her here:
According to the EmpowerMe Living study, 50% of those with developmental disabilities are unemployed. For those who are employed, only 23% make more than $900 a month, meaning their rent would have to be less than $300 per month to not be a financial burden.
“(Residents are) going to pay something called room and board, and it’s going to be a very low amount based on their income,” said Jeff Krieger, the director of program operations for Ohio Valley Residential Services. “That money goes towards their furniture, some basic clothing, it’s gonna go to their hygiene items, their personal items, their kitchen, their food.”
There will also be staff on site 24/7 to help residents with their individual needs, allowing residents to gain independence and build community.
“It’s really important to have folks have a place that they’re able to call their own, and still be out in the community, living their best life, and we need more of it,” Krieger said.
EmpowerMe Living is working on several other housing developments similar to Hope Cottage, including one in Oxford which will be breaking ground next month.
