Throughout the city’s history, individual neighborhoods and Cincinnati City Officials have worked together to improve conditions in Cincinnati’s communities. Neighborhood leaders have often worked with city planners to shape their community’s plans. Input into the city budget process through community priority requests is now routine for neighborhoods and City Departments. Over the years, Cincinnati has been enriched by the developing partnership between City Officials and neighborhood groups and recently, the Neighborhood Support Program (NSP) has enhanced this partnership.
Created as a three-year experiment in 1981, NSP provides direct funding to recognized Community Councils. Originally, the City allocated Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funds to sponsor the program. These annual grants provided needed support for small-scale community improvement projects. Over the initial three-year period, the success of the NSP was clear. In 1984 and 1987, the City of Cincinnati affirmed its commitment to this partnership with community groups by refunding the program for an additional three-year period. In 1988, faced with eligibility concerns with the use of CDBG funds, the City shifted NSP to general revenue funding. Since 1990, the City’s partnership with Community Councils through NSP and its funding commitment have been reaffirmed annually.
In an effort to improve services to neighborhoods and reduce program administrative costs, the City chose in 1989 to subcontract the administration of the NSP to a nonprofit agency. From 1989 through March 1991, Clean Cincinnati, Inc., administered the program. Invest In Neighborhoods Inc., began administration of the program in March of 1991.
In December 2008, during the budget process, City Council moved the direct administration of the Neighborhood Support Program (NSP) and the Neighborhood Business District Support Fund (NBDSF) in-house to the Department of Community Development (DCD).
In February 2009, City Council voted that DCD should immediately begin administration of the NSP and NBDSF programs.
The Department of Community Development’s (DCD) mission includes enforcing building code regulations on existing structures while leveraging public funding to improve the quality and variety of our residential and commercial real estate within the City of Cincinnati. DCD also provides direct assistance to businesses, non-profits and community organizations to improve the viability and vitality of our neighborhoods.
Cincinnati City Officials recognize that indigenous neighborhood leadership and widespread resident volunteerism are essential elements to the vitality of the City. Through NSP, the Cincinnati City Council intends to improve its communications with Cincinnati’s Communities, thereby facilitating neighborhood involvement in developing and implementing city policy.
Self-determination and community improvement are the foundations of the program. Through NSP, the City extends a challenge to its neighborhoods: “What can we do together to improve the quality of life in your community?”
