Cincinnati, Ohio, Issue 24, City Income Tax Increase for Housing Projects and Assistance Fund Charter Amendment (November 2023)

Cincinnati Issue 24
Election date November 7, 2023
Topic City tax and Local housing
Status Defeated
Type Initiative

Cincinnati Issue 24 was on the ballot as an initiative in Cincinnati on November 7, 2023. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported increasing Cincinnati city income tax rate by 0.3% (from 1.8% to 2.1%) with revenues dedicated to a fund for housing projects and assistance, including: dedicating 65% of the fund to grants, subsidies, and loans for developing and maintaining housing for families with incomes up to 30% of the area median income; dedicating 30% of the fund to support housing projects and assistance for families with incomes up to 50% of the area median income and down payment and mortgage assistance to home owners with incomes of up to 80% of the area median income level;  dedicating 5% of the fund to administrative costs associated with the fund; and administering the fund in consultation with a board of 11 city residents.

A "no" vote opposed increasing the Cincinnati city income and withholding taxes by 0.3% to fund grants, subsidies, and loans for housing projects and rent and mortgage assistance for renters and property owners with incomes between 30 and 80% of the area median income level.

Election results

Cincinnati Issue 24
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		25,788	31.22%
No		56,817	68.78%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Issue 24 was as follows:

“

Shall the Charter of the City of Cincinnati be amended to require the City of Cincinnati to raise income and withholding taxes by three-tenths of one percent (0.3%), if subsequently approved by the electorate, annually beginning January 1, 2025, which new taxes shall be deposited into a non-lapsing special revenue fund restricted only to finance housing affordable to households with income up to 80 percent of the area median income as established by federal law with 65 percent of the fund restricted to support housing affordable only to households with incomes up to 30 percent of the area median income; which new taxes shall fund such housing throughout the City of Cincinnati through grants, subsidies, and loans, including to third party housing developers, which may be of low or no interest, and/or forgivable; which new taxes can be spent to increase, preserve, maintain, repair, improve, and pay off indebtedness related to privately owned homes and rental properties owned or rented by people with incomes up to 80 percent of the area median income as established by federal law; which new taxes can be spent to provide down payment assistance, mortgages, loans, financial counseling, and construction loans to people with incomes up to 80 percent of the area median income; and which up to five percent of annual revenues collected from the new tax may be used to support city staff and operations established for the purposes of administering the funds; and which imposes long-term restrictive covenants on property that receives funds from these taxes to maintain affordability and provide first right of refusal to purchase rental property funded through these taxes to tenants and the City, and shall be administered in consultation with an 11 member board of private citizens?

”

Path to the ballot

The initiative was sponsored by Cincinnati Action for Housing Now. To qualify for the ballot, 5,385 valid signatures were required. The campaign submitted 6,181 valid signatures and the Cincinnati City Council voted to place the initiative on the ballot.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Ohio

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Ohio.

How to vote in Ohio

Poll times

In Ohio, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. are permitted to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals who are incarcerated for a felony conviction, have been declared by a court to be incompetent for voting purposes, or have been permanently disenfranchised may not register to vote.

Applicants may register to vote online, in person, or by mail. The Ohio Voter Registration and Information Update Form is available online and can be requested by mail. In-person voter registration is available at various locations including the secretary of state and board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, and other state agencies. A full list of locations is available here.

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election. An Ohio driver’s license number, state ID card number, or the last four digits of a SSN is required in order to register to vote or update a voter registration.

Automatic registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Ohio has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Ohio requires those registering to vote or updating their voter registration information at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed to do so. Individuals registering to vote in other settings do not have to provide proof of citizenship but must attest to their citizenship in a sworn statement.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Ohio requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Ohio Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Ohio driver's license; State of Ohio ID card; Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV; A US passport; A US passport card; US military ID card; Ohio National Guard ID card; or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card All photo IDs must have the following: An expiration date that has not passed; A photograph of the voter; The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.

”

Ohio voters can obtain a free state ID card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2023
• Local housing on the ballot

Ohio

• Ohio 2023 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Ohio
• Cincinnati, Ohio

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas