Current Programs
Community Housing Improvement Program
The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), offers housing grants and loans to income-eligible homeowners living within the City of Xenia, and is offered through a partnership with the Greene County Community Development Department. CHIP is designed to provide low- to moderate-income homeowners in the City of Xenia financial assistance with home repairs that may be otherwise financially out of reach. Examples of qualifying repairs may include plumbing or electrical repairs, HVAC issues, window or door replacement, or even accessibility improvements. To be eligible: applicants must meet program specific income requirements, have home owner's insurance (or the ability to obtain it), and be current on their property taxes. The CHIP funding , $400,000 for the 2020-2021 calendar years, is provided by a competitive grant through the Ohio Development Services Agency.
For additional information including an application, please visit the Greene County Community Development site.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Allocation
As part of the the Ohio Development Services Agency's (ODSA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the City is eligible to apply for its biennial Allocation grant in even numbered years. The City works with community groups, building owners, neighborhood associations, and internal City staff to identify eligible projects for the city’s low- and moderate-income residents. Eligible projects must meet the national objectives of the CDBG program as well as meet the city’s long- and short-term plans including the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Competitive Grants
The Community Development Department
Design Assistance Program (DAP) Matching Grants for historic downtown buildings
Good design = good development. With that belief, the City of Xenia has offered 3 different rounds of funding to downtown building owners to hire qualified historic architects to help them development concept plans, master plans, and in some cases, develop full construction drawings on important building rehabs downtown. In 2011, 8 owners received $2500 each to do facade concept drawings; of those 8 grants, seven buildings received minor to extensive facade improvement upgrades representing over $500,000 in private and public investment. In 2014, 3 owners received matching funding to complete a Master Building plan, exterior facade design assistance, and a concept plan for upper story rehabilitation. From that $38,000 in matching grants, over $2 million in projects have been completed or funded including the Toward Independence master plan which gave birth to one bistro, Coffee Hub, and extensive interior rehab including a new elevator within 81/87 E. Main Street/Toward Independence, and a concept design to adaptively reuse the upper two floors into five units of housing above the Xenia Shoe and Leather Building (known as the historic Litt Brothers building) at 21 E. Main Street. The Xenia Shoe and Leather/Litt Brothers Building is the recipient of a HOPE VI-Main Street grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to spur economic development through housing in small historic downtowns like Xenia, Ohio. The Xenia Shoe and Leather/Litt Brothers building has also been awarded historic tax credits by the State of Ohio in December 2016. (Round 17). Read more about HOPE VI-Main Street. None of these projects would likely have come to fruition without good plans that attracted private and public funders.
DAP 2018 - Heartened by the great return of public funding versus public and private dollars attracted to well designed downtown building concepts, the City offered a third round of DAP in April 2018. Approximately $26,000 in downtown city funding was awarded to two owners of 3 historic buildings downtown, the Eavey building at 17 W. Third Street, the Kresge at 30 S. Detroit Street, and the old Penney building at 45 E. Main Street. Two different historic architectural firms were selected to develop concept plans, master plans, and detailed construction drawings to assist these downtown building owners. While plans alone do not guarantee immediate funding, they make the likelihood of funding much greater.
Additional Services
The Development Department provides staff and offers secondary support to the Greene County Housing Coalition, the City of Xenia Loan Trust Committee, the Greene County Tax Incentive Review Council, and the Greene County Retention and Expansion Committee.
Community Development staff works closely with housing and social service providers in the Greene County area to improve the housing, employment, and community needs of citizens.
The Community Development Department supports community festivals, downtown festivities and promotions, and neighborhood events, such as First Fridays, Hometown Christmas, and other community events.