Hamilton just scored a $2.5 million state grant to jump-start its Build Back the Block program and turn roughly 100 long-vacant lots into workforce homes, city officials announced Thursday. The money will cover water, sanitary sewer and other basic infrastructure so crews can move quickly into construction, with the first 10 houses expected to break ground in 2026. City leaders say the homes will be sold below construction cost to low- and moderate-income buyers to stabilize neighborhoods and grow homeownership, instead of letting empty parcels sit idle for another decade.
The awards came through Ohio’s new Residential Economic Development District (REDD) grants, a program created in the 2026 state budget to speed up housing near major job projects. The state Department of Development says the REDD program will provide about $10 million in grants this fiscal year and roughly $15 million next year. According to the Ohio Department of Development, eligible communities can use REDD dollars for infrastructure, public-safety needs and capital that supports new housing development.
How the Money Will Be Used
The city plans to use the $2.5 million to hook roughly 100 infill parcels into water and sewer lines and prep them for owner-occupied construction, stripping away a major up-front cost that has stalled past efforts. As reported by the Journal-News, Hamilton currently owns more than 250 residential parcels that could be redeveloped, and the city manager called the award “a big win” for the program. Officials say the grant will make the first phases shovel-ready and help lower prices for qualifying buyers.
Why It Matters
Ohio packaged the REDD grants to get housing up fast in places seeing major private investment, with this latest round totaling roughly $9.2 million spread across five communities in this award cycle. Spectrum News 1 notes the awards target areas near large projects, and local coverage of the announcement linked the funding to demand from nearby facilities such as Amazon’s Monroe site and big defense-sector buildouts. State officials say these infrastructure-first grants are designed to cut the steep up-front costs that slow production of attainable, for-sale homes for working families.
Build Back the Block, a Quick Refresher
Hamilton launched Build Back the Block last year as a neighborhood-by-neighborhood effort to turn empty lots into owner-occupied homes, partnering with groups like Habitat for Humanity and Neighborhood Housing Services to deliver the units. The city’s project page lays out the Jefferson neighborhood pilot, early lot plans and the roles of each partner, while Hoodline tracked the initial groundbreakings and partnerships when the effort kicked off. According to the City of Hamilton and prior local coverage, the first dozen homes were expected to be under construction this year as the city sequences infill sites for resale to qualifying buyers.
The Cincinnati Business Courier first flagged the award in regional reporting and framed the grant as part of a broader state push to ease a tightening housing market while communities move from planning to actual building. Cincinnati Business Courier coverage outlines the funding round and regional context as Hamilton and other communities line up contracts and site work that could bring the first new units online in 2026 and 2027.
