As Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, commonly known as DEI, initiatives come under fire in the United States, local leaders are emphasizing the importance of its core principles.
Since taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump and his administration have taken executive action to target DEI initiatives. During his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order directing the termination of federal agencies’ DEI-related mandates, policies and programs.
Furthermore, many public and private corporations, including Meta and Walmart, have pledged to end DEI-related mandates and policies upon Trump’s executive actions. Conversely, many corporations, including Costco, Apple, and Microsoft, remain publicly committed to their DEI programs.
Last week, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Covington Mayor Ron Washington addressed regional business leaders at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Inclusive Impact Breakfast, where they discussed inclusivity in Greater Cincinnati’s economy and how it can impact each of their respective cities.
Regarding the Trump administration’s actions, Pureval described the situation as “challenging” to deal with, both locally and nationally.
“I can’t overstate how challenging that is,” Pureval said. “How challenging the last month has been trying to figure out what the law is via these executive orders, trying to figure out, trying to navigate this idea that we’re getting threatened to have federal and state funds getting cut entirely from our cities and you know, and it’s very challenging.”
Pureval expressed pride in the City of Cincinnati’s DEI strategies and noted that similar programs have positively impacted his life.
“I’m a DEI man,” he said. “I got a diversity minority scholarship to attend Ohio State, where I had my first job at a law school at White & Case. I was noticed at a diversity or minority job fair. Time after time, I have received these opportunities because of the generosity and intentionality of this country.”
In November, Washington was elected mayor, becoming the first Black man to hold the office. A native of Covington, Washington said the city has always been a welcoming community and must showcase its initiatives more.
These efforts included making Juneteenth an official city holiday in 2021 and becoming one of the first cities in Kentucky to pass a Fairness Ordinance in 2003. This anti-discrimination law protects individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in areas such as employment or housing.
“I think we got to embrace culture,” Washington said. “I think we have to continue to be a welcoming place and celebrate diversity, and we do that with our city. You know, we put money into our Pride Parade. We sponsor Juneteenth. We do things like that.”
Both mayors said that building more housing was one of the most effective ways to drive economic change for economically disadvantaged people in their communities.
Northern Kentucky is experiencing a housing shortage. According to a report published in 2023 by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, the region needs to build 6,650 housing units in the next five years, or 1,330 units per year, to support economic development.
A study of housing in Northern Kentucky has revealed troubling trends for housing in the region, with the largest need being for “workforce housing” for households earning between $15 and $25 per hour, with monthly housing costs between $500 and $1,500. The region needs about 3,000 more housing units to provide for people within that income range, according to the study. The demand for one- to two-bedroom rentals and owned properties consistently exceeds their supply, while supply for three and four-bedroom properties consistently exceeds demand. The study suggests that the region needs to build 6,650 housing units to support economic development in the next five years, which equates to 1,330 units per year. Read more here.
Understanding NKY’s housing shortage
Washington said Covington, the most populous city in Northern Kentucky, is focused on repurposing approximately 200 vacant lots and abandoned buildings. This includes strategies such as infill development and renovating old buildings. Washington noted that he was concentrating on properties south of 12th Street or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“We are fiercely working to put in front of developers and nonprofits those lots,” he said. “We want to build.”
On the Cincinnati side, Pureval said zoning law reformation will allow for more housing in the future. In 2023, the Cincinnati City Council passed sweeping zoning reforms that will enable housing with up to four units, even in areas currently featuring single-family housing. Pureval said many of the city’s neighborhoods are zoned exclusively for single-family homes.
“We need more supply of housing, and that will have a profound impact on our minority and disinvested communities because they will now have an opportunity to have economic mobility throughout the city; to get access to schools that they perceive or better, get access to small businesses and grocery stores that are closer to them,” Pureval said. “That is what an inclusive and growing and attractive city looks like in the future.”
