On a modest street in Jefferson, two brand-new homes are under construction where empty lots had once blighted the neighborhood. These are the first tangible results of a bold and ambitious citywide effort: Build Back the Block, Hamilton’s campaign to transform vacant land into affordable homeownership opportunities and to restore the fabric of its traditional neighborhoods.
The homes represent more than simple construction progress. They are physical proof of a vision long in the making; an effort to reverse decades of neglect by investing in housing, community, and hope. With a plan to build 100 new homes by 2030, Build Back the Block is, in City Manager Craig Bucheit’s words, “rebuilding and restoring the heart of Hamilton, one block at a time.”
A City in Need of Homes
Like many Rust Belt cities, Hamilton has faced growing housing pressure. According to City leadership, a shortage of homes across all price points has caused a ripple effect in many areas when it comes to affordability of being a homeowner.
Bucheit explained during the 2025 State of the City the need for a broad strategy.
“I spoke about our housing shortage and being thousands of housing units short all across the city,” says Bucheit. “That shortage has caused home prices to increase, rents to rise, and property taxes to soar.”
Hamilton has succeeded in adding rental and newer housing units through developments such as Remington Lake and Westfield Estates. Yet Bucheit emphasized that a severe housing gap persists across the city.
“The most critical need is affordable housing for working families,” Bucheit said. “This initiative means life-changing opportunities for these working families. For the first time, they’ll be living in a brand-new home, one that they own.”
A New Approach: Build Back the Block
In March 2025, the City unveiled Build Back the Block at the 17STRONG Hamilton Neighborhoods Summit. The initiative aims to reverse years of decline by targeting traditional neighborhoods for reinvestment. The premise is simple but powerful: return homes and hope to the blocked-off lots that once anchored communities.
“These once thriving working-class neighborhoods are still full of proud, hard-working people,” notes Bucheit. “But these neighborhoods will not recover on their own.”
According to the official plan, Phase One will deliver 12 new homes in Jefferson within the next 12 months. The first two houses are currently getting built, marking the first new owner-occupied homes in that neighborhood in more than half a century.
Under the plan, at least 75% of Phase One units are set aside for households earning 80% or less of the area median income (AMI). For many working families, the initiative promises a chance at homeownership, an opportunity that was once long out of reach.
To help make that a reality, the City partnered with nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Hamilton, the Consortium for Ongoing Reinvestment Efforts (CORE), and Community First Solutions, as well as private sector contractors and builders, the Hamilton Community Foundation, and the Hamilton City School District.
Public-Private Collaboration: From Concept to Construction
According to Liz Hayden, Executive Director of Neighborhood Services, Build Back the Block reflects a renewed commitment to neighborhoods that have long suffered years of disinvestment.
“Hamilton has been ready for Build Back the Block,” explains Hayden. “Making sure that all of Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods are strong, vibrant places to live is critical to our community’s future. And housing is a central piece to this.”
Hayden explained that the initiative is more than just housing; it’s holistic community revitalization.
“Build Back the Block is more than housing,” notes Hayden. “We are paving roads, adding park amenities, painting murals, and investing in youth programming and community engagement initiatives. Build Back the Block is one piece of the puzzle for addressing the housing shortage.”
Director of Planning Lauren Nelson added that the initiative addresses several critical challenges at once.
“By building new residential units in Hamilton’s traditional neighborhoods, Build Back the Block is addressing the need for more housing at a variety of price points,” Nelson explains. “New housing units will add comparable sales (comps) to the market where none currently exist, which not only increases the marketability of future new homes, but positively impacts the willingness of lenders to loan money to potential home-buyers in those neighborhoods.”
Nelson said the City is using several homeownership programs to ensure the homes are accessible to income-eligible Hamilton residents.
“Homebuyer education, down payment assistance, and affordable monthly mortgages are all part of the strategy for the City and its partners when considering how to make Build Back the Block successful,” Nelson states.
The initiative is not being managed by City government alone. Community First Solutions, led by President and CEO Brett A. Kirkpatrick, has taken a leading role in overseeing the construction of two houses in this first phase.
“We are proud to be the first to break ground on this important initiative,” Kirkpatrick says. “Being first comes with responsibility — we’re setting the standard for quality and community engagement that we hope will inspire future phases.”.
Building Real Homes and Real Community
For Community First, the challenges of Phase One have been unique. Rising material and labor costs, paired with a socially complex mission of building affordable, high-quality owner-occupied homes in a neglected neighborhood demanded careful planning.
“With rising construction costs, there’s a significant gap between what’s affordable and what’s sustainable – homes that will truly stand the test of time,” Kirkpatrick explains. “Our approach of building two houses side by side allows trades to work efficiently.”
Thanks to a network of skilled local tradespeople from Butler County, the projects reflect both craftsmanship and community investment.
“We’ve been intentional about keeping this initiative as local as possible,” says Kirkpatrick. “The vast majority of our subcontractors are from Butler County.”
Design planning involved the Community Design Alliance (CDA) and input from the City and nonprofit partners to ensure the new homes would honor the architectural character of traditional Hamilton neighborhoods. As Kirkpatrick put it, the goal was to build homes "that respect the history and architectural character of the neighborhood."
By early 2026, Community First plans to complete the first two houses. Framing and mechanical work are already done for both; drywall, interior fixtures, and finishing touches will follow.
What Success Looks Like and Why It Matters
For City officials, success is more than bricks and mortar. It means welcoming families back into owner-occupied homes, and replacing vacant lots with places where children can play and neighbors can connect.
“Success is that all 12 homes are quickly bought by families excited to live in the Jefferson neighborhood,” says Hayden. “Eventually, we intend to bring Build Back the Block to other Hamilton neighborhoods, so the vision is for hundreds of more homes, creating opportunity and vibrancy throughout Hamilton’s traditional neighborhoods.”
Nelson added that success goes beyond occupancy: it’s about re-establishing a housing market where new construction helps stabilize property values, attract lenders, and build long-term equity for residents.
“The impact will be felt by the presence of new houses on once vacant lots, the establishment of more owner-occupants in the neighborhood, and the addition of comps to the area,” says Nelson. “On a more simplistic level, putting vacant lots back into productive use helps eliminate blight, improves property values, and creates property tax revenue for the community.”
Through Build Back the Block, the City hopes to reverse decades of decline; not just with houses, but with the recovery of community life.
Looking Ahead: The Road to 2030 and Beyond
City leadership views the current phase as the beginning of a long journey. The official goal: 100 new homes by 2030. Meeting this timeline will require sustained effort, long-term funding, close coordination, and strong community support.
“When you do the math you realize just how audacious that is,” admits Bucheit. “It means we plan to average adding one new home every three weeks for the next five years.”
But Bucheit and his colleagues believe it’s possible and necessary. With more than 1,000 vacant lots scattered across Hamilton’s traditional neighborhoods, the potential to rebuild isn’t just real, it’s essential.
Community First says it’s ready to scale up, bringing its construction services, subcontractor relationships, and commitment to quality to future phases. Each new block fixed, each new family moved in, further strengthens the case for broader revitalization.
“The opportunity to see new sustainable homes go up in these neighborhoods is a chance to spark vitality,” says Kirkpatrick. “We’re not just building homes — we’re building Hamilton’s future.”
Why This Matters: A Neighborhood Revival Built from the Ground Up
Build Back the Block is more than a housing program. It’s a commitment to restoring neighborhoods, investing in people, and rebuilding community roots. In a city that has seen the loss of homes, businesses, and collective memory, the initiative offers a chance to reclaim what was lost and still needs to be rebuilt.
“While Hamilton has experienced a tremendous revitalization over the last 14 years or so, many of the City’s traditional neighborhoods are still struggling,” admits Nelson. “Build Back the Block is in direct response to this need in our community and the City’s neighborhood-focused priority.”
The combination of affordable homeownership, nonprofit support, private-sector construction, and City planning makes the strategy promising. This is not just a quick fix, but a sustainable path forward. For working-class families, it offers a chance to own a home on reasonable and stable terms. For neighborhoods weakened by decades of economic challenges, it offers a chance to reweave social fabric.
“The housing shortage is one of our greatest challenges and one of our greatest opportunities,” declares Bucheit. “We have the chance to rebuild in a way that not only addresses today’s housing needs, but also lays the foundations for future generations.”
For Hamilton, the first houses are more than an experiment. They are the foundation for a future where empty lots become streets again, where new homes anchor new families, and where community is built, quite literally, block by block.