J U S T I N J E F F R E A N D M I C H A E L E A R L P AT T O N P R E S E N T. . .

The Comprehensive Neighborhood

Rescue Plan
Strategies to Engage, Empower, and Improve Our Communities
T h e E l e v e n P o i n t s o f P r o g r e s s
! Defining “Assets” ! Establishing a ! Strengthening Neigh- ! Recycling Building

! !
Trained Work Force borhood Business Dis- Materials
! The Untapped Poten- tricts ! Locally-Based Sus-
tial of Vacant Buildings ! Practical Education tainable Living
for Students ! Community Council
! Entrusting Neighbor- Congress ! The City’s Role in
hood Assets to Local ! Community Redevel- Supporting Neighbor-
Stakeholders opment Trusts hoods.

the same time, our vacant buildings and those

A real plan for real people
The Neighborhood Rescue Plan is a vision for
rebuilding Cincinnati’s economy and community
hand in hand, block by block. By thoughtfully
identifying, engaging, and combining
underutilized resources, every neighborhood in the
city can transform its existing assets into
permanent economic and cultural strengths. With
initial leadership at the city level, communities can
plan, build, and control their own futures. Groups
of communities can share assets for short- and
long-term projects that will benefit all of them and
allow each to maintain its individual character.
Defining “Assets”
Every neighborhood has something to offer –
under-used housing stock or commercial
property, historic architecture, unique cultural
attractions, skilled specialists, entrepreneurs
with energy and ideas, individuals or institu-
tions with spare investment capital, a thriving
business district, projects that need workers,
or workers that need jobs. By emphasizing its
strengths, a community can find ways to use
them to expand its capacity in other areas. We
encourage each neighborhood to take an in-
ventory of what it has and discuss ideas to
exchange those resources for what it needs to
get what it wants. Existing organizations such
as Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts
United, the Community Development Corpo-
rations Association of Greater Cincinnati, and
Xavier University’s Community Building In-
stitute can help neighborhood groups find
potential sources of funding and assistance
with grant applications, project planning, and
other services.
Justin Jeffre, who is endorsed by the South-
west Ohio Green Party, believes in putting
people first.
Michael Earl Patton, who is endorsed by the
Hamilton County Libertarian Party, knows the
issues.
The Untapped Potential of Vacant
Buildings
One of Cincinnati’s greatest assets is its hous-
ing stock. Inspiring architecture and well-built
homes can be found throughout the city. At
in advanced states of disrepair are not living
up to their potential. They are frequently eye-
sores and magnets for crime. With some crea-
tivity and political will, we can put these
properties in the hands of their neighbors,
who have a direct interest in turning them
around and finding a productive use for them.
In extreme cases, where there are active safety
or structural concerns about a privately held
building and the landlord is unresponsive, the
city may need to order its disassembly (see
page 4). Allowing the property to continue to
decay and cause problems for the neighbor-
hood would be irresponsible.
Entrusting Neighborhood Assets to
Local Stakeholders
Most people can readily identify the problem
properties close to where they live – nobody
knows the neighborhood like the neighbors.
Under the Neighborhood Rescue Plan, local
residents will control programs to repopulate
and rehabilitate vacant buildings in each
neighborhood. Since this work can be done
more quickly by 40 to 50 neighborhoods than
a centralized agency, we call on the city to
begin transferring deeds to the properties it
currently holds to community councils and
neighborhood development corporations.
Community members will inspect the proper-
ties, evaluate their potential based on local
needs and market conditions, and restore
them to an appropriate use. Homes can be
offered to low-income families, seniors, teach-
ers, or public employees. Renters’ equity pro-
grams can be used to help responsible tenants
become homeowners.

Paid for by Jeffre for Council, Gwen Marshall, Treasurer! 1

 T H E C O M P R E H E N S I V E
FRIENDS,
It is with great pride that we unveil our
“Comprehensive Neighborhood Rescue
Plan” for the citizens of Cincinnati.
We have spent the last two years
studying the issues that face our City,
trying our best to find realistic solutions
that empower citizens, as opposed to the
status quo of City Hall politicians giving
handouts to the favored few.
We hope you will spend some time
considering our ideas, and we hope, when
it comes time to vote on Election Day,
you will cast your ballot for the
candidates who have ideas best matched
to your own.
It is our firm belief that our collaboration
across party lines indicates the real
moderate political stance for an
independently minded Cincinnati – a
stance not created by the artificial
constraints of big-money, corporate
politics.
Thanks for taking the time to review our
plan, and thank you for your vote on
November 6th!
Respectfully yours,
Justin Jeffre and Michael Earl Patton
2!
N E I G H B O R H O O D R E S C U E
Establishing a Trained Work Force
Multiple new rehabilitation projects will re-
quire a labor force. Local contractors will be
hired to oversee the rehabilitation work and
remediate hazardous materials. In exchange,
the contractors will agree to provide living-
wage jobs and vocational training opportuni-
ties for unemployed and under-employed
residents. The trainees will learn building
trades, supervisory skills, and other profes-
sional skills such as accounting and project
management. Since the projects will be located
in their communities, transportation to the job
site will not be an obstacle for most workers.
Cincinnati Public Schools and labor unions
can support the training component by pro-
viding facilities for evening classes and expert
instructors. Training for neighborhood pro-
jects can also be integrated into unemploy-
ment or re-entry programs. Residents who
participate in the training program will gain a
sense of ownership in their community and
can use the skills they learn to find permanent
jobs.
Practical Education for Students
High schools’ curricula should include
instruction in practical skills (housekeeping,
basic repairs, and money management) as
well as optional vocational training classes. In
order to retain more of the students who do
not attend college after high school, schools
should offer a vocational track that will equip
graduates with skills that will help them find
good jobs in addition to a diploma. With
improved short-term prospects after
graduation, these young people may be in a
position to attend college or open their own
businesses a few years later. Cincinnati Public
Schools should also endeavor to have a school
operating in every neighborhood, at least
through the elementary level. Larger schools
serving multiple neighborhoods increase
travel times and exacerbate traffic congestion.
Community Redevelopment Trusts
In addition to building communities’ reserves
of active skilled workers, the Neighborhood
Rescue Plan will also provide means for
holding property and cash in trust for the
community, in Community Redevelopment
Trusts (CRTs). A CRT may take various forms,
from a simple bank account held by a
community council or other existing group, to
an independent neighborhood bank. A
neighborhood bank would be able to provide
a full range of financial services, such as low-
interest mortgages and micro-loans for local
entrepreneurs, free investment counseling,
and financial literacy classes. CRTs’ profits will
be used to support neighborhood projects. A
mature CRT can also provide staged financing
P L A N
for construction projects. In any form, the CRT
will serve as both a managing entity for
neighborhood assets and a way for residents
to invest directly in the community.
Strengthening Neighborhood Business
Districts
Vital neighborhood business districts are es-
sential to great communities. They provide
jobs, opportunities for neighbors to get to
know each other, and convenience. Shopping
at neighborhood stores is also a socially and
environmentally responsible choice because it
supports a cluster of stores that many resi-
dents can walk to rather than driving several
miles. Stable business districts foster commu-
nity pride and can be catalysts for some
neighborhoods to distinguish themselves as
destinations for cultural tourism, antiques
shopping, night life, etc. Establishing a spe-
cialized identity helps a neighborhood appeal
to visitors and residents seeking a unique ex-
perience.
The anchors of neighborhood business dis-
tricts are locally-owned independent shops.
By supporting and promoting locally-owned
businesses, Cincinnati can reverse its negative
cash flow. Locally-owned businesses buy more
of their supplies from nearby, and all of their
profits stay in the community. By contrast,
stores with headquarters in far-away states
send millions of Cincinnatians’ dollars to
other cities every year.
In order to increase the presence and impact of
locally-owned independent businesses, all of
the independent businesses in the city should
organize an alliance that will function as a
mutual protection society, a networking vehi-
cle, and a political lobbying bloc. The city can
support this alliance by promoting a “Shop
Cincinnati” advertising campaign that em-
phasizes the benefits of local ownership; by
giving purchasing and contracting preferences
to businesses owned and operated by city
residents; and by sponsoring grants for stu-
dents graduating from UC’s College of Busi-
ness who submit proposals for new businesses
in a competition and commit to operating
them here. Subsidies and other economic in-
centives should be reserved for local busi-
nesses. National big-box retailers already en-
joy a dominant market position that has put
great pressure on independent businesses, and
have no legitimate need for government assis-
tance.
At the neighborhood level, communities
should identify businesses they would like to
add to their business districts and advertise
widely for specific opportunities, seeking local
entrepreneurs whenever possible. At the same
time, they should identify the types of busi-
Paid for by Jeffre for Council, Gwen Marshall, Treasurer
 T H E
nesses that they judge to have detrimental
social effects, and the city should grant them
the authority to block the sale of commercial
space to such businesses.
Community Council Congress
Representatives of every neighborhood in the
city will convene quarterly to share ideas on
community building, beautification, crime
prevention, building preservation, reclaiming
fallow property, marketing historical assets,
and other related topics. Through these meet-
ings, communities will identify common
needs that can be presented by the Congress
to the city with specific legislative or proce-
dural recommendations. Neighborhoods will
benefit from each others’ experience by learn-
ing about approaches to various issues that
have worked well and those that have been
less successful. The Congress will serve as an
ongoing neighborhood improvement forum,
and also as a networking opportunity for
communities with shared geographic, institu-
tional, and/or economic interests to begin
collaboration on partnership projects. These
projects may involve bringing together differ-
ent types of resources from each community
to achieve particular goals.
Recycling Building Materials
Vacant buildings in extremely poor condition
cannot be successfully remodeled without
excessive expense. Under current policy, they
are demolished, and the debris goes to land-
fills. A more responsible approach, which
could be utilized in Neighborhood Rescue
projects, would be to disassemble the build-
ings rather than demolish them. Salvageable
pieces would be removed intact and sold, re-
cycled, or used for other projects. For example,
the interior layer of many older buildings’
outer covering is higher-grade wood than is
generally found in modern construction.
Locally Based Sustainable Living
As neighborhoods across the city undertake
these initiatives, we encourage them to leave
room in their plans for models of sustainable
production and consumption, such as the
Paid for by Jeffre for Council, Gwen Marshall, Treasurer!
C O M P R E H E N S I V E N E I G H B O R H O O D R E S C U E
community gardens we’ve already mentioned
and housing and dining co-ops. Although
these are currently seen as “alternatives” to
conventional single-family living, they are
examples of how small groups of people can
live more economically by sharing some of
their work and expenses. We would like to see
these kinds of arrangements emerge in many
different communities.
The City’s Role in Supporting
Neighborhoods
City-level economic and personnel policies
have a direct impact on the ability of neigh-
borhoods to maintain properties that enhance
the community, vital business districts, and a
population of productive residents. Some
ways that the city can contribute to these
goals, in addition to those mentioned previ-
ously, are:
*Hiring only Cincinnati residents for all future
openings in every department, with a goal of
city residents representing at least 90% of the
work force. This policy will help keep as many
Cincinnatians employed as possible and will
keep more tax money in the city’s economy.
Although exceptions can be made for special-
ized positions requiring a broader search for
qualified candidates, people who work for the
city should live in the city. Like the trainees in
the neighborhood projects, resident city em-
ployees will also have a sense of ownership
that will motivate them to do their best.
*Applying the business incubator concept to a
new program focused on building contractors.
A contractors’ incubator could help contrac-
tors gain experience and build up a customer
base during their first few years of operation
by assisting with phone and mail service, bill-
ing, bookkeeping, supply storage, and other
tasks.
*Improving minority inclusion targets and
adding job training requirements to public
contracts. In a city with nearly 50% minority
residents, inclusion requirements should be at
least 25% (or higher when possible). Many
minority residents are in low-level positions
P L A N
with few opportunities for advancement or
specialized training. Training provided as part
of public contracts will provide a way for
some minority employees to become inde-
pendent contractors, which will facilitate
higher inclusion targets. Policy-makers must
take care to ensure that contract provisions
specifically address inclusion of racial minori-
ties. Inclusion targets that apply to both
minority-owned and women-owned enter-
prises may tend to diminish the amount of
contract money ultimately paid to minorities.
*Establishing an ombudsman who can inves-
tigate claims of abuse by inspectors or other
city employees.
*Streamlining the permitting process for sim-
ple remodeling jobs, which will make it easier
for property owners to maintain their build-
ings.
*Ending or substantially revising the chronic
nuisance ordinance. In its current form, the
ordinance unreasonably holds landlords re-
sponsible for even minor infractions commit-
ted by tenants and inhibits positive police-
community relations.
*Reviving the “dollar house” program, offer-
ing city-owned buildings that aren’t slated for
Neighborhood Rescue projects for sale for one
dollar to residents who commit to repairing
structural problems and living in the house for
a minimum period. This program can be a
successful complement to the Neighborhood
Rescue Plan if it’s re-introduced without many
of the burdensome requirements of its previ-
ous incarnation.
*Expanding local police presence by maintain-
ing more substations in the city.
*Working with the county and the public li-
brary to open library branches in neighbor-
hoods that don’t have them and restore serv-
ice levels at branches that have had to reduce
hours.
Conclusion
Our vision can directly benefit a community
by providing jobs and training opportunities
for residents while deterring crime and main-
taining property values. Many of these ideas
can be accomplished by citizens taking the
initiative and working together. The most suc-
cessful projects will involve creative thinking
and the combined commitment and efforts of
many individuals – sometimes even a neigh-
borhood’s entire population. While extensive
planning and negotiation may be necessary to
reach agreement on some issues, the goal of
self-reliance will help stakeholders create
meaningful projects for their communities.
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