John Arthur Flats

A co-development with our partner:

John Arthur Flats made possible thanks to Ohio Housing Finance Agency, City of Cincinnati, Federal Home Loan Bank, Fifth Third Bank, CREA, Cincinnati Development Fund, and Finance Fund.

For information on applying to live in John Arthur Flats, click here.

NEST secured the property at 4145 Apple street via a CDBG funding award with help from the City of Cincinnati. The parcel was vacant and adding blight to Northside’s Historic neighborhood business district. NEST worked diligently to plan an impactful development that aligned with community goals and thus, our partnership with Pennrose was created in 2019 to create a dynamic affordable housing project in the heart of Northside.

John Arthur Flats is the first LGBTQ+ affirming 55+ senior affordable housing development in Cincinnati. It contains 57 newly constructed studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments affordable to seniors ranging from 30% AMI to 60% AMI. This 3-story elevator served building is in an ideal walkable location with easy access to the Northside business district and many other nearby amenities.

For many LGBTQ+ older adults, the social stigma they’ve experienced and the added stress of dealing with decades of discrimination can put them at greater risk of physical and mental illnesses, experiencing higher rates of poverty and suffering higher rates of housing discrimination. Innovative housing solutions like John Arthur Flats respond to this need, providing a safe and welcoming environment for seniors to age in place in community.

Community Connection

1. The project is named John Arthur Flats in memory of John Montgomery Arthur, the husband of Jim Obergefell. John and Jim incidentally made history as the subject of Obergefell v. Hodges and the fight for marriage equality. John and Jim spent many years together living in Cincinnati with connections to the Northside community. We are honored to memorialize John’s legacy and the importance of social equity for the queer community in this groundbreaking project.

2. John Arthur Flats is literally built around the Maureen Wood Community Room, a pertinent tribute to Northside pioneer, neighbor, and friend, Maureen Wood. As a fearless member of the queer community and pioneering leader in social equity, Maureen called Northside home while she spent her time saving historic buildings, helping people learn new skills and doing anything she could to better the lives of her neighbors. Her generous spirit and deep heart are immortalized in the gorgeous mural painted by her friend Ursula Roma, welcoming residents and friends as they enter the community room in the center of the building.