Safe, stable, and affordable housing forms the foundation of family well-being and long-term financial security. At GCF, we are dedicated to making sure more families in our region have access to the housing they need to grow and thrive.

Recently, GCF, alongside local housing leaders, hosted “Homes for the Future” at SparkHaus, the first of a three-part event series exploring how housing, health, and education intersect and shape opportunity in our region. The event highlighted the urgent need for housing and how GCF is working with community partners to fix the underlying system barriers that prevent housing from getting built.

*According to The Catalytic Fund and Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio

GCF’s approach to building lasting housing solutions

At the event, Ron Stubblefield, GCF’s director of housing and place-based initiatives, outlined our multi-pronged strategy to accelerate housing solutions for the region:

Building system capacity

Regional research shows that our housing challenge is not just about supply, it’s about whether partners across the region can consistently deliver. GCF builds the capacity, systems, and developer pipelines — with partners and targeted pre-development and gap financing — to consistently advance projects from concept to completion.

Testing and scaling innovation

GCF tests and validates innovations — from construction methods to policy pilots — so new approaches can be de-risked and scaled across the region.

Aligning capital

GCF deploys philanthropic capital with partners as catalytic financing to close gaps, reduce early risk, and unlock significantly larger public and private investment at scale — with an emphasis on reinvestment where possible.

A shared vision for the future

By 2035, GCF, in partnership with donors, will invest $1B into the community,
fueling an audacious future in which every person has the opportunity to thrive. GCF is also making a historic $150M investment in three strategic areas that allow communities to flourish: education, housing, and community and cultural vibrancy.

During his event speech, GCF’s Stubblefield explained why housing must be a key factor in turning this vision into reality:

“A region’s housing system quietly determines whether its economy grows, whether its families stay, and whether its children inherit opportunity or grow accustomed to disappointment. Families cannot afford to wait. Housing must arrive with the fierce urgency of now.”

A special thanks to our presenting speakers: Ronald Stubblefield, JD, MS, PMP Director, Housing and Place-Based Initiatives, GCF; Jeanne Schroer, President & CEO, The Catalytic Fund; Gary Painter, PhD, Academic Director, Prof. of Real Estate, University of Cincinnati; Kristen Baker, Executive Director, LISC Cincinnati; Susan Thomas, President, Fifth Third Community Development Corporation; and Kate Greene, President, Urban Sites.

Together, we’re building a future where everyone has the opportunity—and the keys—to a safe, affordable home.