As Northern Kentucky faces a housing crisis that hampers local hiring efforts, key leaders from the region presented a strategic plan to address these challenges. On October 21, 2025, Tami Wilson, Vice President of Government Relations and Business Advocacy at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Kentucky Housing Task Force during the Kentucky General Assembly Interim Session. Wilson’s presentation highlighted critical steps that could alleviate the housing shortage affecting businesses across the area.
Joining Wilson were Travis Gysegem of the Catalytic Fund and Brian Miller from the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky. Together, they discussed the Northern Kentucky Housing Blueprint, a comprehensive plan that builds on the findings of the Home For All report. This community-driven initiative identified 50 actionable strategies aimed at enhancing housing affordability, availability, and aligning income with workforce needs, all essential components for regional economic development.
Wilson emphasized the direct impact of housing availability on local businesses, stating, “From small family-owned shops to some of our region’s largest employers, our members repeatedly tell us about housing availability and how it directly affects their ability to attract and retain workers.” She noted that the housing blueprint aims to unite private sectors, local governments, and community partners to implement practical steps that enhance both housing and economic stability.
The housing blueprint outlines four primary objectives: creating a Housing Fund to support regional priorities, exploring innovative programs such as an Employer Assisted Housing Program, increasing the variety of housing types through Missing Middle Housing, and growing the residential construction workforce. Wilson and her colleagues particularly focused on the first and fourth strategies, detailing their potential impacts and implementation steps.
According to the Northern Kentucky Housing Blueprint, establishing a $25 million Housing Fund over five years could lead to the construction of 1,000 new income-aligned homes, repair of 50 existing homes, and provision of down payment assistance to 275 first-time homebuyers. Gysegem explained that the fund would offer flexible, low-interest loans for both new construction and renovations, supporting a mix of market-rate and affordable housing units. “We aim to raise $5 million initially and grow to $25 million by year five. That would support the creation of 1,000 new income-aligned housing units,” Gysegem said. He underscored the necessity for legislative support to establish locally controlled housing funds.
Miller highlighted the challenges posed by high construction costs and labor shortages, referencing studies from the National Conference of State Legislatures. These studies indicate that such factors are significant contributors to elevated home prices. Additionally, a national report from the Home Builders Association found that labor shortages led to a reduction of approximately 19,000 homes in single-family home production last year. Miller asserted, “Without enough trained workers, we cannot build housing at the pace required. Housing affordability cannot be solved without people to build homes. Investing in workforce development strengthens housing supply and creates good-paying jobs.”
The Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky’s training arm, the Enzweiler Building Institute, is poised to contribute significantly to addressing this workforce gap, targeting to deliver 30% of the metropolitan region’s needed new construction workforce, which equates to over 2,200 new workers per year. Miller urged legislators to enhance resources for workforce development through dedicated training funds for construction trades, support for public-private academies, and reforms to apprenticeship tax credits.
In a bid to engage the community in discussions around these pressing issues, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce invites the public to its 2026 Legislative Session and Business Advocacy Preview on November 11. The event, scheduled from 16:00 to 18:00 at Triple Crown Country Club in Union, Kentucky, will feature insights from Kentucky House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade and State Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with policymakers on initiatives that are shaping the future of Northern Kentucky.
For more information about the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s policy priorities and advocacy efforts, visit www.nkychamber.com/events.
