“I bought my first home here. I had my children, and so we just stayed. And I like it here. I like the neighborhood. This is home,” Curry said. “I’m glad there will be new houses here, new families.”
Housing officials, county leaders and Madden Hills residents attended a groundbreaking ceremony on Glenelle Drive in Dayton on Friday to kick off construction of the new homes.
Paul Bradley, executive director of the Montgomery County Landbank, said this project is part of a promise to fill in empty lots in local neighborhoods.
“This is kind of a first of its kind for the Landbank. We’re coming full circle from where we started,” Bradley said. “There’s still a lot more work to do, but a year from now, where we’re standing, there will be some bright new houses and they’ll be filling out this block.”
The Landbank is working with local builders Centerstone Homes and Ohio Regional Constructors for this project. The state requires them to complete work by May 2026.
The project was partially fueled by $6.9 million in state funds through the state’s Welcome Home Ohio program, which aims to make housing more accessible to income-restricted Ohioans.
Eligible people must be at or below 80% of the area’s median income and must agree to be the primary occupant of the home for a minimum of five years, among other requirements.
The single-family houses will be low-maintenance structures with a maximum sale price of $180,000. Montgomery County Landbank officials said the design of the houses is planned to blend in with the style of their neighborhoods. Designs for the Madden Hills homes included three bedrooms, at least two bathrooms and a garage.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said he grew up near Madden Hills, and things have changed for the neighborhood off Germantown Pike.
“This was an area called Hog Bottom, way back in the day,” Mims said. “But the aspect of seeing the kind of things that are happening right now, is very, very special. This whole Welcome Home Program is something that warms my heart tremendously.”
Rehabilitation work for the 24 planned houses is scattered across 13 Dayton neighborhoods, according to the Montgomery County Landbank.
Ohio’s county land banks are designated as partnering agencies for the state program. They’re tasked with property acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and sale of the homes. In Dayton’s neighborhoods, vacant lots and existing vacant properties have expedited this process, Landbank officials said.
Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice said this is just the beginning.
“Let’s let this catch on in other neighborhoods. Let’s make this succeed, because housing is so incredibly important for people. It is the foundation. Families need homes. And they need to be safe, they need to be affordable,” she said.
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