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Since being established in 2009 through a generous donation from the North Columbus Jaycees the NCJC Housing & Development Foundation has dedicated itself to its vision to develop and expand affordable housing resources for low and very low-income residents throughout the State of Ohio.

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Within Ripley, Ohio, the Foundation is proud to own: 

• 7 Main Street, a collection of three occupied apartments.

• 216 and 218 N. Front Street, which the Foundation is in the midst of renovating as short-term rentals.

• 9 Main Street, which the Foundation purchased to keep as a primary care practice offering affordable rent levels. Following the unexpected departure of the former practice the Foundation now intends to renovate and offer again as a space with community wellbeing in mind, such as a medical practice or therapist.

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In late 2022, the Foundation made inquiries into the Ripley School House Apartments which had long been a burden on the community and its owners. January of 2023, the Foundation and Brown County Senior Citizens Council joined forces to uplift the school house, its residents, and the surrounding community. The Foundation agreed to purchase the property from the Brown County Senior Citizens Council, take care of any existing debt, and help manage the property moving forward. On April 1, 2023, every piece of copper associated with the HVAC system was stolen by vandals, and on August 17, 2023 a fire tore through several units in the schoolhouse. The smoke, water, and emergency response demolition were the death knell for the property and rendered all 19 units completely uninhabitable.

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The Foundation remains dedicated to the School House and the Ripley community at large. Tens of thousands of dollars have been paid to cover emergency response actions which were not covered under insurance policies and the cost of returning the building to service will be on the order of$2-3 million. This is the result of an unfortunate accumulation of vandalism, theft, and unfortunate differed maintenance resulting from under-staffing and under-funding. Unforeseen issues have also resulted in additional costs, as it’s been discovered that non-compliant materials were used in critical utilities, and there are significant deficits in ADA-related infrastructure, all of which result in unacceptable risk to the residents.

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This property has been a burden to the community, instead of a home for those in need of shelter within the small village. Following the fire, insurance funds were allocated for the highest and best use to address as many of the identified issues as possible. Above and beyond this scope, the Foundation will continue to invest its own funds in the schoolhouse and, more broadly, in the local-led development of Ripley. Hopefully, with the rejuvenation of properties such as this and the Freedom Landing Dock on the horizon Ripley’s best days are yet to come. We understand that this future is daunting, but we feel it is our mission to seek out the needs of this community and to help meet them whenever possible. We ask for your assistance in coming alongside Ripley residents and forging a bright future together. Your support of our effort to restore and revitalize this property and this community is crucial in creating a brighter and safer future for everyone.