Cincinnati Development Fund

10/08/2026

Happy Blink! It is incredible to see the city come to life with art and we can't wait to explore this weekend!

While you're out and about, be sure to swing by Woods Hardware at 125 E. 9th Street to see this amazing mural of our former President & CEO Jeanne Golliher in celebration of her decades-long commitment to Cincinnati's revitalization efforts. Artist Jenny Ustick created the mural, complete with nods to significant projects financed by CDF over the years. For more information on the mural, see the BLINK website. Have a great weekend, Cincinnati! https://www.blinkcincinnati.com/blink-event-guide/art-and-artists/murals/mural-by-jenny-ustick

09/03/2026

Earlier this summer, CDF closed our 2nd New Markets Tax Credit project of the season--the Findlay Market Healthy Food Hub!

The Findlay Market Healthy Food Hub is the $13MM renovation of two buildings, totaling 24,707 square feet, at 132 W. Elder and 1720 Race Street in Over-the-Rhine. The Race Street property will be renovated and converted into a food storage and distribution hub for the Corporation for Findlay Market's (CFFM) many partnership programs and food delivery system. This will allow the nonprofit corporation to expand its programming, ensuring healthy foods reach more people throughout Greater Cincinnati. The organization’s maintenance and operations staff will also operate out of this building. The Elder Street property will house the CFFM’s administrative staff, expand dry and cold storage for market vendors, and have meeting and training space for vendors and the general public. Supporting entrepreneurs is at the core of the CFFM's work and the project deepens its support for small business owners.

CDF sub-allocated $5,000,000 of our $70,000,000 award and $1,000,000 of OH NMTC to the transaction. We are thrilled to see work underway on the Race Street property and the Elder Street property activated with events, meetings, and market operations. Congratulations to all!

09/01/2026

Last week some of our team members traveled to northeast Ohio to learn more about the community development ecosystems in Cleveland and Akron. Thanks to Cleveland Neighborhood Progress for showing us how they support 21 community development corporations and other place-based organizations with operating support and technical assistance to strengthen Cleveland’s neighborhoods. We also learned how their two subsidiaries, Village Capital Corporation, a CDFI, and New Village Corporation, a real estate development entity, further support neighborhood revitalization.

In Akron, we were fortunate to spend the day with the Development Finance Authority of Summit County hearing about their financing functions as well as their two managed entities, the Development Fund of the Western Reserve, a CDE active in the New Markets Tax Credit program, and the Western Reserve Community Fund, a CDFI focused on small business lending and affordable housing development.

As CDF continuously works towards delivering meaningful impacts in southwest Ohio, learning from peers in Ohio and around the country is extremely helpful. We came back with some great ideas and thoughts we’re going to pursue. Again, thank you to the community development professionals in Cleveland and Akron who so graciously spent time with us last week. Come visit anytime!

08/13/2026

We are thrilled to partner with HomeBase Cincinnati and the City of Cincinnati to administer the Quick Strike Acquisition & Project Support Fund. The Quick Strike Fund is intended to help CDCs and other eligible community-based organizations move quickly when strategic real estate opportunities emerge. See below for more information and how to apply.

Quick Strike Acquisition Fund Applications are now live as well!

The Quick Strike Fund helps nonprofit CDCs and neighborhood-focused organizations secure critical properties in Cincinnati neighborhoods to preserve housing, catalyze redevelopment, and advance long-term neighborhood plans.

Funding can support:
• Real property acquisition
• Eligible costs like appraisals, title reports, and environmental assessments
• Strategic site control, even when immediate development isn’t yet feasible

Applicants must have a valid purchase option or purchase agreement and pass the City of Cincinnati Income Tax Department’s Good Standing review.

Applications are on a rolling acceptance basis until funds are expended.
Please reach out with any questions to [email protected]
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The Quick Strike Acquisition Fund is administered by Cincinnati Development Fund on behalf of the City of Cincinnati, and in partnership with HomeBase Cincinnati.

08/11/2026

We recently spent time with Rep. Greg Landsman discussing the CDFI industry, affordable housing finance, and the New Markets Tax Credit program. A champion for affordable housing and community development, Congressman Landsman is working to increase and improve the federal tools available to revitalize our communities.

During our time together, we visited with Kelly Lanser and John Bird with Findlay Market to learn more about the Findlay Market Healthy Food Hub project, a $12.8MM project that will renovate two buildings, increase food access for thousands of Cincinnatians, and support market vendors with new storage and event space. CDF allocated $5MM in New Markets Tax Credits to the project. The project drives investment into the neighborhood while providing important impacts for everyday people.

We are so thankful to Congressman Landsman for his interest in our work and his support of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)!

07/06/2026

Please join us in welcoming Allison Schaaf, MCP as CDF's newest employee. Allison is our very first Community Impact Analyst. In this role, Allison is responsible for organizing, tracking and verifying our impact data and helping to articulate our impact through various methods. With an M.A. in Community Planning, Economic and Community Development and a keen interest in both quantitative and qualitative data, Allison will elevate CDF's impact management work.

Allison likes that community development finance provides the opportunity to shape equitable, thoughtful development and have a lasting impact on the city. Allison enjoys exploring the city and seeing CDF's impact all around us!

Allison, we're so glad you're here!

07/01/2026

Our lending team gained another recent addition when Morgan Rahe joined CDF as a Loan Officer/Relationship Manager. Morgan gained real estate development experience as a Senior Development Officer at the City of Cincinnati, where she worked on Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Historic Tax Credit projects and managed the City's NOFA program, accelerating housing development throughout the city.

As a Loan Officer/Relationship Manager, Morgan works closely with developers of all sizes to help turn project ideas into reality. Community development finance advances Morgan's passion for expanding access to safe, livable neighborhoods and housing in a tangible way. She sees each project as an opportunity to think creatively about financing structures that can serve multiple community needs at once. So far, Morgan likes working in an environment that thrives on collaborative problem-solving and innovative thinking. You've come to the right place, Morgan!

We're so glad you're here!

06/29/2026

CDF is growing! We are so pleased to welcome Taylor German to the team as a Senior Loan Officer. Taylor joined CDF after 10 years at the City of Cincinnati, most recently as Economic Development Manager in the Department of Community & Economic Development, where she structured and negotiated complex real estate development transactions using public financing tools.

Taylor combines those technical skills with a passion for connecting people, ideas, and resources together to make meaningful things happen. In her first few weeks, she has enjoyed getting to know our different partners, learning what they're trying to accomplish, and thinking through how financing can help move their goals forward. Taylor is an instrumental member of our lending team and is working on projects of all types.

We're so glad you're here, Taylor!

05/12/2026

Since 1988, Cincinnati Development Fund (CDF) has had the privilege of financing hundreds of impactful real estate projects across the region. As a nonprofit lender, we take risks when others can’t because we believe in the importance of place and what that means for our community. We use our tools and our creativity to help repurpose historic buildings, activate commercial corridors, create new housing units, and support nonprofit organizations and small businesses. We’re neighbors. We’re partners. Let’s break ground together.

For more information, check out our new video and our website at www.cindevfund.org

05/04/2026

Last week we had the honor of sharing our annual impact report with Cincinnati City Council's Equitable Growth & Housing Committee. Thanks to Cincinnati Public Radio for covering the story. In the last fiscal year, CDF:

🔵 Provided $43MM in total affordable housing lending to 20 unique projects, representing $351MM in total development costs.
🔵 Financed 1,082 total housing units, including 948 affordable units, 84% of which are units serving people at our below 60% AMI.
🔵 Of those 948 units, 640 are in the city and 308 are outside of the city limits.
🔵 Engaged 5 new private funders to support our affordable housing work.

We're starting the new fiscal year with a robust pipeline of projects and are eager to continue contributing more housing units to the market in partnership with many, many others. Please see our website for more information and for the complete report.

The 948 housing units are all affordable to residents making 80% or less of the area median income, and most are affordable at 60% AMI.