New Roots Oxford project stalls; city redirects $500K to Habitat development

The Oxford City Council is redirecting $500,000 in federal relief funds to a Habitat for Humanity housing project after the planned New Roots Oxford development stalled and will not move forward.

Inclusive Housing Resources and real estate company EmpowerMe Living LLC, which partnered on the local project New Roots Oxford, a neuro-inclusive affordable housing project, have decided the project will not move forward.

Jessica Greene, assistant city manager for the City of Oxford, said due to ongoing roadblocks, Inclusive Housing Resources is forgoing the $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated through Butler County.

“They can not achieve their infrastructure in time for September,” Greene said, adding that the groups still hope to complete the project with alternate funding.

The City of Oxford will “pivot” these funds to the city’s Clarence Place Habitat for Humanity project, which is slated to break ground in May.

In total, the city’s habitat project will have $1 million in infrastructure donations from the Butler County ARPA funds.

The Oxford City Council also adopted a resolution that allows the city manager to apply for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s (OHFA) Single Family Tax Credit Program. 

According to the city staff report, the program “is designed for large-scale affordable homeownership projects, providing a Tax Credit against State Income Taxes of up to $100,000 per home, ($3,100,000 for all homes), for the construction of Affordable For-Sale Homes.”

If the city secures this funding, the construction of the Habitat for Humanity Project will have “stronger footing,” according to the city staff report. 

This funding will allow the project to accelerate home construction and complete the entire 31-home project faster, once homeowners are identified, matched and complete all requirements.

The city staff report notes although the program may be a solid fit for Oxford’s Habitat for Humanity project, it requires “a Unit of Government to be the lead applicant.” 

While the project currently does not qualify for this, due to that restriction, the project team has requested assistance from the City of Oxford to fill this role as an application partner, according to the city staff report.

In this role, the Habitat for Humanity project would be responsible for all work related to completing and submitting the application, execution of the project, all financial requirements and expenditures, financial risk associated with monetizing the tax credits and all related program compliance and reporting.

If permission is granted, the state will work with Habitat for Humanity to sell the tax credits, according to Greene. 

The Oxford City Council will meet again on May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oxford Courthouse on 118 W. High St.