'There's hope': 20 years of searching for solutions in Price Hill neighborhoods

Susan Bilz is sweeping.

Upstairs. Downstairs. In the stairwell.

She doesn’t mind. Bilz is cleaning for a celebration of all the Price Hill neighborhoods, where she has lived for 58 years.

“I think all of Price Hill gets a bad rap sometimes,” she said.

To be sure, there are issues. Since 2020, 455 people have died in East Price Hill prematurely. It’s the worst rate of premature deaths in Cincinnati, according to data released this year from the city’s health department .

And that’s where Price Hill Will comes in, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life here.

“I think there’s hope,” Bilz said. “I feel it. It’s in my heart.”

Ray Pfeffer

The building Bilz is sweeping, she said, probably would have been demolished if the nonprofit didn’t buy it in 2014. Before then, it sat vacant for 35 years.

Now, it’s a vibrant building made for music and art. A building for kids like Maryam Abdullah Powell.

Maryam’s been playing cello for 3.5 years, and now she teaches other students through a free program here.

“I just feel like it’s part of my life,” she said. “And it makes me feel good.”

Ray Pfeffer

Maryam’s been diabetic since she was 2. The oldest of four kids, she gives herself insulin shots every day.

It’s something she says music has helped her navigate. Something she is able to do for free through Price Hill Will.

“It means a lot,” said Maryam.