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In Covington, Kentucky, Mayor Ron Washington has unveiled a new initiative to address the city's housing shortage by forming a Housing Development Taskforce. This group will focus on expanding equitable residential growth in the city. The taskforce is still in its initial stages but represents a significant effort to tackle what Mayor Washington sees as a major challenge for his administration.
"We have too many productive people sleeping on couches or in their parents’ basements," said Mayor Washington. "If we want Covington to grow in the right direction, we need to grow our housing stock in a way that reflects the needs of our workforce."
The taskforce includes developers, nonprofit leaders, educators, and planners who will work together to identify opportunities, remove regulatory obstacles, and guide investments into accessible housing options. A study by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District in 2023 indicated that the region requires 6,650 new housing units by 2028, with Covington needing 891.
Despite having more rental housing than neighboring areas, Washington emphasized the importance of focusing on income earners within the $50,000 to $60,000 range. "We’re especially focused on income earners in the $50,000 to $60,000 range — the teachers, tradespeople, and service workers who are the backbone of our city," he stated. "We also need more 1- and 2-bedroom options."
A key part of this initiative involves revitalizing vacant and abandoned properties currently owned by the city. These properties often result from anti-blight enforcement but now represent potential opportunities for development.
"We’re sitting on land that’s not just underutilized — it’s draining resources," Washington noted. "We need to get these properties into the hands of people who will bring them back to life."
Mayor Washington has requested that the Board of Commissioners adopt an order directing city staff to identify ten city-owned vacant properties with high market potential. The aim is to sell these lots at maximum value and reinvest proceeds into housing development programs.
"This is about creating a virtuous cycle," said Washington. "We’ll use the value of our most desirable assets to unlock opportunity in our most neglected spaces — and we’ll do it in a way that delivers real benefit to Covington’s working families."
The taskforce's goals include expanding workforce housing inventory, preserving neighborhood character, revitalizing empty streetscapes with new homes, and reducing blighted property burdens.
The City continues investing in complementary programs like homebuyer assistance and emergency repairs alongside this initiative. Despite these efforts, Mayor Washington acknowledges there is more work ahead: “What we’ve started is good — but not enough. This taskforce is how we take the next big step.”
City staff plan to announce taskforce membership soon and begin drafting a development blueprint aimed at ensuring an inclusive future for Covington's housing sector.
