Thursday, Dec. 18: Children Services Levy + Affordable Housing Lawsuit + Senior Rent Hikes
Thursday, Dec. 18
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
🎧 Prefer to listen to the news?
Find Wake Up, Cincinnati! on
Spotify,
Apple Podcasts,
YouTube,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Children services levy eyes $35M fixes, seeks general fund help.
Hamilton County’s children services levy may need help from the general fund to stay afloat through next year. Rising costs have pushed the levy toward a projected deficit, prompting proposed spending cuts, funding shifts, and program realignments totaling $35 million. Job and Family Services Director Michael Patton says the plan avoids layoffs while stabilizing essential child safety services. However, shifting $9 million to the general fund and moving programs to other levies could strain the county’s budget. The current levy expires next year, and long-term solutions remain unclear.
Fourth POAH tenant sues, cites child asthma, lead, bed bugs.
A fourth tenant has sued the nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing, or POAH, alleging her 4-year-old son’s serious health problems—including asthma, lead exposure, and bed bug bites—stem from poor living conditions in their Over-the-Rhine apartment. The lawsuit adds to growing legal and community pressure on POAH, which owns nearly 1,000 units citywide. Previous tenants have reported mold, rats, and peeling lead paint, with one mother linking the deaths of her two infants to mold exposure. City officials have begun inspections and issued multiple code violations. POAH says it’s working to improve housing quality.
Victory Vistas seniors face doubled rents; dispute LIHTC rules.
A dozen senior residents at Victory Vistas, an affordable housing complex in Cincinnati’s Paddock Hills, are facing rent hikes that double their monthly payments. Although the developer, Kingsley and Co., says the increases comply with federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit rules, residents say the sudden shift from 30% to 60% Area Median Income rates has created intense anxiety. Temporary aid will cover rent increases until March 2026, but Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati argues the tenants have legal grounds to remain under their original leases. Kingsley says it’s seeking long-term solutions.
Scripps rejects Sinclair’s $7 bid; door open for new offer.
The board of E.W. Scripps Co. has unanimously rejected a $538 million acquisition proposal from Sinclair Inc., calling the offer “not in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.” Both firms operate major TV stations in Cincinnati. The unsolicited $7-per-share bid was formally made in late November after Sinclair acquired a nearly 10% stake in Scripps. The Scripps family controls 93% of the company’s voting shares, limiting any hostile takeover. Despite rejecting the deal, the board says it remains open to strategic partnerships.
Signal 99 admin revealed: Carolyn Adams vows continued political push.
The identity behind one of Cincinnati’s most controversial political social media pages has been revealed. Carolyn Adams, a former UC Health dispatcher from Westwood, confirmed she runs Signal 99, a Facebook page known for anonymous, mocking posts targeting Democratic leaders like Mayor Aftab Pureval and Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey. Critics have accused Signal 99 of spreading misinformation under the guise of satire and first responder advocacy. Adams says she’ll remain active and may expand the page’s political influence despite backlash. Signal 99 has over 24,000 followers.
* Subscription required.
✉️ Do your neighbor a favor — forward this newsletter or send them to our signup page.