Stand with Cincinnati's Neighborhoods
Help Strengthen Quality of Life Across Cincinnati
Every neighborhood deserves the opportunity to thrive. By signing this Letter of Support, you are joining residents, community councils, and partner organizations in calling for dedicated funding that empowers neighborhoods to improve health, strengthen community well-being, and close Cincinnati's 25-year life expectancy gap.
⬇ Read the letter below, then add your name in support.
TO: The City of Cincinnati Safety and Quality of Life Committee
FROM: The Mantle Center and the Undersigned Community Councils
DATE: July 1, 2026
SUBJECT: Petition for Revision of Ordinance #220-1989 to Fund Quality of Life Councils and Initiatives
To the Honorable Members of the Cincinnati City Council
We, the undersigned individuals representing the Mantle Center and the diverse community councils across the 52 neighborhoods of Cincinnati, submit this letter of support to urgently request the allocation of dedicated funds for neighborhood Quality of Life initiatives.
The Crisis: A Disconnect in Neighborhood Development
For too long, the City of Cincinnati’s neighborhood development strategies have not been fully responsive to the foundational needs and health goals of its citizens. The most glaring evidence of this disconnect is the staggering 25-year death gap—a stark life expectancy disparity that exists between different neighborhoods within Cincinnati city limits.
This gap is unacceptable. It demonstrates that relying solely on top down physical and mental health interventions for our most vulnerable residents is not enough to address the “death gap.” A meaningful response requires simultaneous attention to community, financial, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being. Only by addressing all these interconnected factors can we improve overall quality of life for all residents.
The Solution: Empowering Communities Through Targeted Funding
To reverse these trends, communities need the autonomy and resources to address their unique health and wellness challenges directly. We propose empowering our neighborhoods increased support to community councils, which will allow residents to design and implement targeted interventions.
To fund this critical work, we formally request that City Council revise City of Cincinnati Ordinance #220-1989 which governs the Neighborhood Support Program.
The Formal Request
We petition the City of Cincinnati to amend Ordinance #220-1989 to include an additional allocation of $5,000 per community. The funding will support neighborhoods in the bottom quarter of life expectancy data, either through direct application for funds or through partnership and learning collaboration with a high life expectancy neighborhood.
These specific funds must be ring-fenced and strictly designated to fund Quality of Life projects that explicitly:
1. Improve community health outcomes.
2. Enhance the holistic well-being of residents.
3. Directly elevate the quality of life within the applicant neighborhood.
By providing this dedicated $5,000 per community, the City will empower the 52 neighborhoods to transition from passive recipients of broad development policies to active architects of their own health and vitality. This small but targeted investment will yield exponential returns in community cohesion, public health, and neighborhood resilience.
Call to Action
We stand united in the belief that the health of our city is only as strong as the health of our most vulnerable neighborhoods. . We urge the Safety and Quality of Life, Youth & Human Services, and Housing & Growth Committees of Council to champion this revision, advocate for this essential funding, and work alongside Mantle Center and the community councils to close the death gap in Cincinnati.
Respectfully submitted,
Earnest Davis
Executive Director
Endorsed by the Undersigned Cincinnati Community Councils:
