City Planning and Engagement

In 2025 the City of Cincinnati received a $2 million Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With the grant funds, the City intends to create a set of freely available pre-approved plans for two-, three-, and four-family buildings (Middle Housing), followed by construction of two demonstration projects using the plans. This project, called BuildReady, is a joint effort by the City Manager’s Office, the Department of City Planning and Engagement (DCPE), the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), the Department of Buildings and Inspections (B&I), and the Innovation Team. 

The goal of BuildReady is to create pre-approved middle housing plans that are:

• Contextual: Respect and enhance the context of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods

• Attainable: Offer practical designs that keep costs within reach for many residents

• Scalable: Make it possible for developers of all sizes to build these homes efficiently

The project will broadly contain three main components: an open-call design competition, creation of the pre-approved plans, and construction of the demonstration projects.