Reggie Harris speaks at the Cincinnati Black Developers Conference.

“And I love you. And I thank you. Thank you all so much.”

These were Cincinnati City Council member Reggie Harris’ final words in his Oct. 2 City Council meeting address as he thanked his husband for his support. Harris announced his resignation from the council in September and left his position of almost three years to work for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Community Planning and Development.

The now former council member, ballet dancer and social worker wrote in an announcement that he has worked to make Cincinnati “the most inclusive city it can possibly be.”

“Now, I will heed (sic) the call to continue that work upstream and have an even greater impact to make sure that our partners at the Federal level are giving cities an opportunity to receive the support they need,” wrote Harris.

Harris said in his statement that he will now oversee $7 billion in HUD economic and housing development funds.

Harris’ new position as deputy assistant secretary of economic development does not come as a surprise to those who know of his work here in Cincinnati. He made affordable housing a priority during his time on City Council and was integral in the creation of plans such as the Affordable Housing Leveraged Fund and Connected Communities.

Connected Communities is a 2024 zoning and land-use policy reform, co-sponsored by Harris with the goal of community growth and accessibility. The approved ordinances include creating flexible zoning reforms in and around neighborhood business districts, reducing parking requirements and retracting minimum lot-area-per-dwelling-unit regulations. These plans will allow for higher density residential sections and increase the height restrictions of new buildings in designated areas.

Harris wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Connected Communities is a return to what works , focusing our future growth on density, walkability and connectivity. Housing is our greatest tool to achieve these goals.”

From September 2022 to August 2023, according to the Affordable Housing Leveraged Fund (AHLF), the AHLF deployed $31 million in grants and loans to 948 affordable housing units, 712 of which are reserved for income-restricted residents who fall at 60% or below the area median income in Hamilton County.

Harris has worked with underrepresented communities in housing. He graduated from the Boston University School of Social Work in 2015 with a master's degree and went to work for The Community Builders, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, as the director of community life in 2019. There, he worked on the Avondale Choice Neighborhoods program and its mixed income housing initiatives, helping to create accessible civic spaces and grocery shopping.

Reggie Harris was the vice chair of the council's Equitable Growth and Housing Committee, but his work to represent marginalized communities didn’t stop there. As the first openly gay man of color to serve on City Council, Harris helped to represent Cincinnati’s LGBTQ+ community in the local government - representation that the council now lacks.

Evan Nolan was sworn into office Oct. 17, selected by Councilwoman Meeka Owens to serve out the rest of Harris’ term. Nolan has said he plans to run for election next November and had previously served as an attorney in the City’s Law Department.

In making her decision, Owens consulted a group of community leaders, saying their “input was critical for me because I did not want to make this decision in a vacuum.”

“I was looking at, of course, the body of work that Reggie led on that was no longer represented on council,” said Owens. “I needed to get someone in there that understood that work so we could keep going.”

Some members of the community do not agree with Nolan’s appointment to council. Chris Seelbach, Cincinnati City Council’s first openly LGBTQ+ council member and White House “Champion of Change,” expressed his dismay with Owens’ decision on X.

“Appointing a cis gender, straight, white man to fill the term of Cincinnati’s first openly gay man of color is disappointing and a setback for our city. First time in almost 15 years that Cincinnati won’t have the lived experience of an openly LGBTQ+ person on Council,” wrote Seelbach.

During his time on council, Harris worked to extend the City’s Nondiscrimination Policy to include the LGBTQ+ community, further protecting gender expression and identity with updated language in the city’s municipal code. He served as board chair of the LGBTQ+ rights organization Equality Ohio and as a social worker for Lighthouse Youth Services, where he worked to design a housing program for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults.

“I am a black woman who's grown up in this community and raised a black son,” said Owens in response to this statement during an interview with The News Record. “My lived experience is what drives me.”

“While that letter was disappointing, I am also one to work on solutions. I will never shut the door on anyone, I've never approached work in that way and so people that really want to work on what that looks like for this community for the issues that matter, I am always here to do that. And I know Evan, our new member of council, will as well,” said Owens.

As Harris begins his new career within the Biden administration, his fellow council members have nothing but well wishes for their former colleague. His final City Council address was met with a standing ovation.

“I ran for Cincinnati City Council as a continuation of my lifelong commitment to public service, accepting this role will continue that journey,” wrote Harris. “I’m so proud of this Council’s ability to work together and not shy away from the tough issues that matter most to our citizens. We can. We will. We must.”

Reggie Harris was contacted for comment on the appointment of Councilman Nolan but declined due to the nature of his current role.