Large municipalities in Northern Kentucky are opting for increased collaboration across county lines as regional leaders call for greater intergovernmental cooperation to tackle some of the region’s most pressing issues.
Currently, NKY is facing a myriad of complex challenges, including workforce development and housing. To address these issues, cities, counties, and regional stakeholders have invested in initiatives to solve them.
Northern Kentucky comprises 36 municipalities across Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, each with its own economic development initiatives, community needs and municipal infrastructure.
On July 22, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce held a legislative forum featuring Covington Mayor Ron Washington, Florence Mayor Julie Metzger Aubuchon and Fort Thomas Mayor Eric Haas as the keynote speakers.
The event focused on how their cities are promoting policies that support communities across the region while respecting each city’s unique character. Covington (Kenton), Florence (Boone) and Fort Thomas (Campbell) are the most populous cities in each of their respective Northern Kentucky counties.
Northern Kentucky needs more housing, at least, that’s the conclusion formed in a 2023 analysis by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. The analysis revealed that Northern Kentucky requires approximately 3,000 additional housing units for households earning between $15 and $25 per hour, with monthly housing costs ranging from $500 to $1,500 per month. Leaders often refer to these units as workforce housing.
Read our latest investigation into solving NKY’s housing issues here.
As such, cities across the region are incorporating their own strategies to bridge the gap. Covington, for example, established a housing committee that recommends housing strategies to the city commission. The committee, comprising developers, nonprofit leaders, and community planners, will advise on zoning changes, the redevelopment of city-owned lots, and the expansion of workforce housing.
“When I look at our city, it’s very simple to keep this rolling, to keep this momentum going; we need people,” Washington said. “We need people downtown. We need people visiting our restaurants, and the only thing we can do is we can meet them there by turning these vacant properties into an opportunity.”
Throughout the 21st century, no city in Northern Kentucky has experienced more economic and population growth than Florence. The city grew from nearly 6,000 people in 1960 to over 30,000 in 2020, according to US Census data.
Because of its location along Interstate 75, Florence has become a manufacturing and logistics hub for the Greater Cincinnati area. As a result, Florence needed more homes to accommodate the growing population.
Aubuchon stated that Florence has a flexible approach to housing, particularly concerning zoning policies. She urged other city leaders to stay open-minded during discussions about housing development in their jurisdictions.
“What can you build there? What’s the zoning? How flexible can we be? So we do need other communities to, when they see these things, don’t jump on the social media frenzy and say, “not in my backyard.” Please be open-minded,” she said.
Covington and Florence are two of the largest suppliers of public housing within the region.
Conversely, Haas said Fort Thomas has a tough time building new housing due to its hilly geography. Fort Thomas remains a desirable place to live, primarily because of its role as a bedroom community for downtown Cincinnati. Due to the high value of its homes and land, purchasing a home within the city can be challenging.
“If a developer could figure out how to build a house in Fort Thomas, they were going to build a house in Fort Thomas,” Haas said.
Regionally, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce recently released the “Northern Kentucky Housing Blueprint,” which outlines four targeted strategies to tackle the region’s housing crisis: establishing a regional housing fund, increasing the residential construction workforce, developing more “missing middle” housing, and implementing employer-assisted housing programs.
Northern Kentucky, similar to its housing market, is experiencing a worker shortage, particularly in construction trades such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.
Regional leaders, such as Janet Harrah, chief economist at Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Economic Analysis and Development, told LINK nky in 2024 that the workforce gap left by baby boomers is not being filled due to an insufficient number of millennial and Gen Z workers.
Aubuchon sees the two issues as interconnected, as the challenge of creating more housing becomes tougher without enough skilled workers.
“Workforce and housing are very deeply connected,” Aubuchon said. “It’s more than just, you know, having people and a job there available for them.
To tackle these challenges, each city has its own initiatives to enhance workforce development. Over the past five years, Covington has invested heavily in trades education. The city’s Latonia neighborhood hosts the newest branch of the Enzweiler Building Institute, a trade school that provides hands-on training in carpentry, HVAC, plumbing and electrical work, with a large portion of seats reserved for residents.
Complementing that is the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades, which teaches students traditional building skills, including carpentry and masonry, with a focus on historic preservation.
To tackle the regional workforce shortage, stakeholders have focused on new initiatives like NKY Works, a collaborative effort across counties centered on five pillars: early childhood education, career readiness, work-ready adults, talent attraction and retention, and better employer practices. Launched in 2024, the initiative is a comprehensive effort to strengthen the region’s talent pipelines, which are crucial to its future.
Chamber President Brent Cooper stated that, although there are different approaches from city to city, the goals ultimately remain the same. Furthermore, Cooper said he’s witnessed increased collaboration between Northern Kentucky municipalities in recent years.
“You each represent a different segment of what I consider one big region, and there’s 40,000 people in Covington, there’s 32,000 in Florence–16,000 (Fort Thomas) largest city in Campbell County is only 16,000, so we have different demographics, different situations, but each have really worked regionally,” Cooper said.
