John Arthur Flats is a 57-unit, 3-story new construction, 100% affordable senior housing development in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. It is the first designated LGBTQ-friendly, senior affordable housing development in Cincinnati. In partnership with Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation (NEST), Pennrose developed 57 new studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments priced at rents affordable to households earning between 30% to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

The development’s name pays tribute to the late John Montgomery Arthur, a Cincinnati native and husband of John Obergefell, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. The community room at the new development is named the “Maureen Wood Community Room” to honor Maureen Wood who was a long-time Northsider who passed away in 2017. She was LGBTQ, a neighborhood pioneer, owned Crazy Ladies Bookstore, and was known for teaching home-repair and improvement classes to single women and mothers.

Residents have access to top-notch amenities, including a fitness center, community space, outdoor terrace, on-site laundry and parking. The development will also include on-site supportive services provided by Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, Pennrose Management Company and Caracole, the Greater Cincinnati region’s nonprofit AIDS Service Organization.

John Arthur Flats is financed with equity syndicated by CREA from a 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit award from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, a $1M award of HOME funding from the City of Cincinnati, a $523,772 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati’s Affordable Housing Program and a loan from Fifth Third Bank.