The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is responsible for providing and leverages funding and other resources to support housing creation and preservation, neighborhood revitalization, and promote sustainable economic growth in the City of Cincinnati.

The Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Program is a direct incentive tax exemption program created by the State of Ohio to aid property owners who renovate existing or construct new buildings. It permits municipalities and counties to designate areas where investment has been discouraged and offer CRA programming to spur revitalization of the existing housing stock and new development. The City of Cincinnati’s entire municipal area is one CRA, with DCED running two programs: Commercial Tax Abatements and Residential Tax Abatements.

Residential Tax Abatements make it possible for residents seeking renovations, improvements, or new housing construction to reduce their taxes by paying taxes on the pre-improvement value of their property for up to 15 years. This reduces barriers to residential development and renovations, ultimately helping to make homeownership more accessible and increasing project viability and project investment beyond what would otherwise be feasible. The goals of this program are: 1) stimulate community revitalization, 2) retain City residents, 3) attract homeowners, and 4) reduce development costs of home-ownership and rental projects. 

Property tax abatement is available for any increased valuation that results from improvements to the property for new construction and renovation. All condominiums and one-, two-, three-, or four-unit structures within the City of Cincinnati—new construction or rehab—are eligible, as well as .new construction or remodel projects to four-unit structures that commenced construction on or after January 1, 2022. A minimum of $2,500 for one- and two-unit structures and $5,000 for three and four-unit structures must have been spent on eligible activities. DCED is responsible for intake, review, and approval of applications, before sending to the Hamilton County Auditor's Office, who ultimately determines the final value of improvements, and what affected tax bill it is applied to, and executes the abatement For more information on the program, the application process, eligibility, and more, click here.

New Construction: The creation of a new dwelling unit on vacant land.

Remodel: An improvement to an existing structure that increases the value of the structure.

Addition: An improvement that increases the square footage of a structure. This includes lateral and vertical additions. Note: Addition became its own Construction Type category for the purposes of this program beginning with projects that commenced construction on or after January 1, 2022. An Addition that began prior to then is categorized as Remodel.

Living Building Challenge (LBC): A certification given by the International Living Future Institute based on guidelines that promote sustainability.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified: Is a certification given by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by USGBC and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Platinum (the highest), Gold, Silver, and Certified.

Home Energy Ratings System (HERS) Qualified: The Home Energy Ratings System (HERS) Index is an industry standard by which a home's energy efficiency is measured. For a remodeled housing unit to be HERS Qualified, an applicant must have a RESNET certified Home Energy Rater conduct an initial home energy rating before construction and a final rating upon project completion.

Visitability Certified: Visitability is an accessibility design standard that allows for a guest with mobility impairments to access a dwelling. Design guidelines, outlined in Ordinance 276-2017, include a no-step entrance, a visitable path from the no-step entrance to a central gathering place, wide doors/openings along the visitable path, and a visitable bathroom along the path. The improvements must be certified by the City of Cincinnati’s Department of Buildings & Inspections (B&I) to qualify for the incentive; contact them for more information.

Visitability+: Means the dwelling meets additional requirements that exceed the Visitability standards to accommodate a guest with mobility impairments spending the night at a residence, as outlined in Ordinance No. 106-2023.  

Missing Middle: New construction or remodeled two-, three-, and four-unit dwellings, also known as “missing middle housing,” can qualify for a bonus as an incentive to create more naturally occurring affordable, sustainable housing. The bonus increases depending on the number of dwelling units in the project, click here.

Public Transit Corridor: Referring to areas directly surrounding major public transit, defined in Cincinnati as parcels located either partially or fully within .25-mile radius of a 24-hour Metro bus route. These corridors provide ample opportunity for the City to incentivize multi-family development around high-quality transit services. Under Ordinance No 106-2023, new construction or remodeled two-, three-, and four-unit dwellings located within these corridors can qualify for a bonus.. Transit corridors are subject to change with bus service changes; if interested in this bonus, please email ResTaxAbatement@cincinnati-oh.gov to receive a copy of the most updated map for the latest areas of eligibility.

Tier: Established by Ordinance 106-2023, all Cincinnati neighborhoods are sorted into three tiers Sustain, Expand and Lift. These are based on City Council-adopted framework that evaluates neighborhoods on the following six criteria: Average Household Income, Poverty Rate, Housing Value, Mortgage Applications Approved and Originated, Market Value Change, and New Construction Permit Activity. The City will reassess neighborhood designations every three (3) years.  To view which tier you are under, please click on the link to view it on the map.