Written by Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
In my role at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), I often find myself talking to colleagues in other parts of the country and even around the world. One challenge every community seems to share right now is dealing with a lack of availability of housing at various income levels.
A 2023 report by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District showed that the eight-county Northern Kentucky area will need more than 6,600 housing units in the next five years—beyond those currently planned or under development—to support our economic growth.
At CVG, the only thing that will hold our growth back in the coming years is a lack of qualified workers to fill jobs, and things like income-aligned housing and quality, affordable childcare are basic needs for our workforce.
Our airport is a job creator, generating more than $9.3 billion in economic impact to this region each year, as well as about 49,000 direct and indirect jobs. I often tell our team that our job is about more than filling planes with people and goods; the value of this economic impact is creating jobs so more people in our community can put a roof over their head and braces on their kids’ teeth. Increasingly, those roofs are harder to find and cost a lot more than they used to.
Aviation offers people a world of opportunities, and our plan at CVG is to attract investments to create new economic development opportunities for our region.
Earlier this year, I was proud to help FEAM Aero open a new, $45 million aircraft maintenance hangar at CVG, which is the company’s second facility on our campus. Because of the continued investment by DHL and Amazon Air, for instance, companies like FEAM are growing here to fill a need in aircraft maintenance. Such careers are in high demand, and starting salaries for aviation maintenance professionals can begin around $60,000 a year. Our community has access to these careers, which require an 18- to 24-month licensure, the academic program for which is now offered directly on the CVG campus through Epic Flight Academy or Cincinnati State.
These jobs are great opportunities, but people can’t access them if they don’t have good options for where to live. If you have limited places to live—or the options from which you can choose to live are not what you need or are too expensive—our collective success will be hindered.
Housing costs continue to rise for a variety of reasons. There are building supply shortages; people are staying put longer with the current interest rate environment; as we age, people want to age in place in their current home. There are many reasons.
To be successful, our community—including employers—must step up to find creative solutions. Addressing a shortage of income-aligned housing in our region will look different for each community. In some places, it may be better to have more density. In other areas, maybe new housing developments that mix single-family and multi-family units might be the right solution. Manufactured housing can play a role.
We must find ways to achieve economic growth and address housing challenges in a way that respects the preferences of all who currently live here. But we must have a greater supply of income-aligned housing. We must be a place where everyone can afford to live in the way they choose. I am heartened by efforts of community leaders to look at options and ideas to solve this problem.
Some may question the wisdom of economic growth or say that our community ought to grow more slowly. However, I liken this thinking to our business at the airport: if we do not fill up airplanes with people or goods, our competitor airports up or down the road will gladly eat our lunch. Our mission to create jobs will be threatened. To continue enjoying the kind of community we have, we must grow, or other communities will win at our expense, endangering us to a cycle of decline. We must address income-aligned housing as a key part to our growth. I am confident we can overcome any turbulence and chart a course for well-balanced solutions as we strive to continue to be a great place to live, work, play, learn and give back.
