Kyle Rosa - Honors Portfolio

During my final semester as a sophomore, I decided to take the Honors 2089 course for my second honors experience. Taking this course was very convenient because it was also able to count for my Intermediate Composition credit, which I needed to graduate. The specific focus of this course was housing injustice in Over-The-Rhine, one of the neighborhoods in Cincinnati. This specific section of Cincinnati has suffered greatly due to inflated housing prices and constant renovations by 3CDC, which have partially destroyed the identity of the community and driven many people out of their homes. Taking this class opened my eyes to what was going on in OTR, while also educating me about the history of housing planning in the city of Cincinnati and how things got to where they are today. I was able to hear from Dr. Mark, a representative of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, who is a major voice in the attempt to bring housing justice to OTR. Hearing him speak about his compassion for those who are affected in OTR and the ways in which they are trying to help people was very encouraging and inspiring. I also heard the story of Melissa, an OTR resident who has been directly affected by the housing injustice taking place in Over-The-Rhine. For the final project of this course, I had the opportunity to complete a project to be published in Street Vibes, an alternative newspaper in Cincinnati focusing on housing and social injustice.

Taking this course opened my eyes to the issue of gentrification that the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine is currently facing at the hands of 3CDC. Growing up, the term gentrification did not mean much to me. In addition, I knew nothing about what was going on between OTR and 3CDC. When writing my I-Search essay, one of my final projects for the class, I was able to explore both issues further. An I-Search essay is a type of personal research essay, in which I explored the meaning of gentrification and the way that 3CDC is responding to the accusations of gentrification that they are facing. Unfortunately, the board members of 3CDC do not seem to care that their decisions are having harmful effects on the residents of OTR. This is causing local organizations to become increasingly upset with their presence in the neighborhood. The CEO of 3CDC, Steve Leeper, once agreed to do an interview with a blogger who was very critical of 3CDC. During the interview, he seemed very defensive and on edge, rather than being open and receptive to her questions. A similar mindset can be seen in Yvette Simson, a former councilwoman for Cincinnati, who works very closely with 3CDC. She explained in an interview that 3CDC does not need to answer anyone except for the city when it comes to issues or complaints. This was very concerning to me because this organization is responsible for creating safe and affordable housing for people yet is not willing to listen to them or their critiques. I elaborate further into these issues in my essay, which I encourage you to read if you are interested. The class portfolio containing our completed projects can be found here.