Two News Stories California and Columbus

There were two shocking crimes against homeless people over the last few days.  Today in California a homeless woman was set on fire while she was sleeping on a park bench.  Just last week the National Coalition for the Homeless released a report identifying California as the most dangerous state in the union.   They actually had three times as many incidents of violence against homeless people as any other state in the union.  According to the story a witness followed the attacker.  The victim who was not identified is in critical condition.  The attacker was under arrest thanks to the witness who stayed with him as he fled the scene.

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Updated Website

The portraits are from professional photographer David Hagan.  There were a few cepia tone pieces from Charles who spent time living in the shelters.  There is a photo of our friend Brian Henke who performed at the Woodchopper's Ball.  There are images from a 1992 show with Janet Century and Karen St. John Vincent.  Finally, there are a few recent photos from the Hand Up Gala.   We would love to hear from you about what you would like to see on the front page.  Do you like the black and white photos, all color photos or just images taken by homeless people.

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Join NEOCH Today

For the past 27 years NEOCH has published a Homeless Street Card.  We have organized the Homeless Memorial Day and read the largest number of names in our history.  We helped with the Homeless Stand Down, coordinating outreach, and placing volunteer attorneys at the shelters.  We need your help right now to join the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.  We have sent you a piece of mail with an envelope to return to NEOCH or you can donate directly on our website here.  The 2013 membership campaign is underway.  Please join us as we fight to prevent homelessness for the growing number women and children by making a tax deductible donation during this critical time.

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Hand Up Gala 2012

The Hand Up Gala was December 6, 2012 and above is a picture of "Celebrity Server" Zach Reed at the event.  Everyone I talked to enjoyed the event, and the beautiful atmosphere created by the Cosgrove staff.  We raised $2,000 for transportation and outreach services in Cleveland.   We conducted the auction last week and are sending the prizes out this week.  We have posted a gallery of photos from the event.  It could not have been successful without the chef, Matthew Barnes from the LMM Central Kitchen and his staff.

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Homeless Memorial Day 2012

On December 21, 2012, NEOCH along with 105 cities in the United States remembered those who passed away over the past year.  We have honored those by reading the names for the past 26 years, and 2012 we read the largest number of names in our history with 74 individuals passing.  Some of the shelters that typically report one or two names had 12 names.   We had suicides, murders, and most passing from the hardships of living without a home. 

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Nice Article on the Flaws in Point in Time Counts

The Institute on Children, Poverty and Homelessness have a nice article on their blog regarding the bad information distributed by HUD with their annual point in time counts.  We agree with this national agency, and do not participate in the local point in time count done by the County.  Our biggest issue is that both the media, national groups, and the federal government manipulates and distorts this data to dramatically underestimate the population. 

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Point In Time Counts Fail

The Institute on Children, Poverty and Homelessness have a nice article on their blog regarding the bad information distributed by HUD with their annual point in time counts.  We agree with this national agency, and do not participate in the local point in time count done by the County.  Our biggest issue is that both the media, national groups, and the federal government manipulates and distorts this data to dramatically underestimate the population.

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Homeless Congress--Shelter Standards

Yesterday, we had a lively Homeless Congress meeting with County Councilman Dale Miller.  The purpose of this meeting was to talk about the State of the Shelters, and do we need a law to govern the shelters.  Bottom line was that nearly everyone at the meeting felt that it was important to continue the effort to pass a law that would regulate the shelters.  County Councilman Dale Miller welcomed the crowd and told them of some of the funds that the county had spent recently on homeless services.

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Public Square is Free Again

Occupy Cleveland protesters were arrested in October 2011, and those members sued the City to overturn the curfew on Public Square.   This case could have an influence on the relationship between the City and homeless people.  In the 1990s, Public Square had as many as 25 people who slept on one of the quadrants every night.  This decreased dramatically after 2100 Lakeside shelter opened in 2000, and virtually disappeared after the curfew was passed in 2007.  Now, the Ohio Appeals Court ruling this last month, homeless people could make the case that sleeping outside in the most visible place in the City is an act of protest against the lack of housing in the United States.

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Hand Up Gala A Success

It was a great day at the Cosgrove on Thursday December 6.   We served 200 meals which included a fried okra appetizer with a cajun remoulade and a stuffed chicken with smoked mozzarella caramelized onion with a sweet potato mash and a chicken ajus.  They had asparagus as a side dish and a double chocolate cream pie for dessert.  Thanks to Matthew Barnes from LMM Central Kitchen for supervising the meal and preparing this great four star dinner.  Grace from Beaumont High School organized this entire event.

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Timothy Ray Russell 1968-2012

The staff and board of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless have our Board Treasurer, Michelle Russell, in our thoughts and prayers over the loss of her brother Timothy.  His memorial service was today, and featured a moving tribute by his family and friends. They remembered him as a man of God who had a thirst for life.
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Blanket Giveaway in Partnership with Browns

NEOCH, in partnership with the Cleveland Browns, are working to provide blankets to those who sleep outside or in the overflow shelters.  We do this every year with a goal of collecting and distributing 3,000 during the winter.  The Cleveland Browns are partnering with NEOCH this week to assist in the collection of blankets with a goal of 1,000 blankets this week.  Starting December 8, 2012 and while the supply of tickets last, we will give one ticket to the Cleveland Browns game vs. the Washington Redskins on December 16, 2012 for every two blankets that are donated to NEOCH before the game. 

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Hand Up Gala Auction December 14

There is still a week left to get involved in the Auction for the Hand Up Gala.  Yesterday, Nicole Evans of the Cosgrove was on Live on Lakeside right before noon at WKYC-TV.  The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and the Bishop Cosgrove Center, a program of Catholic Charities, are hosting the third annual Hand Up Gala to prepare a four star meal for those struggling with poverty on December 6, 2012 at Noon.  The event is also a fund raiser for the two groups to continue their important work serving the homeless and hungry of Greater Cleveland and providing outreach to those resistant to shelter.  Twenty-eight local arts and entertainment organizations provided gift certificates as prizes for everyone who donates to the Hand Up Gala.  There is still a week left to donate to this event before the drawing next Friday for the auction

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New York Times Affordable Housing Editorial

On the day we find out that our own local paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, is planning to fade deeper into obscurity by laying off another few dozen reporters, the New York Times had a wonderful editorial about the sad state of affordable housing in America.  We have copied it for posterity on our member site (need a login as a member to access our member site.) 

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Sad Loss of Life in East Cleveland

As we prepare to remember those who passed away and we begin to collect the names of those to read on December 21, 2012, we were sad to see the news that two homeless people were killed in East Cleveland after a high speed chase and an overwhelming number of bullets.  We reserve making any statements on the situation in East Cleveland while we wait for the results of the investigation being conducted by law enforcement.  We agree with the families who want to see a federal investigation of this shooting.

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Candlelight Vigil: December 21, 2012

The first day of winter occurs this year on Friday, December 21^st.  It’s on this day, the traditionally longest night of the year, that the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless hosts its annual Homeless Memorial. The candlelight vigil is held for those who passed away this year and had previous experience with homelessness at some point in their lives or were friends of the homeless.

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Hand Up Gala Next Week

The 2012 Hand Up Gala is next Thursday December 6, 2012, but the drawing for the prizes will be December 14, 2012.  You have a little over two weeks to make a donation to this unique event in Cleveland.  Executive Caters is donating table cloths, napkins and plate for the event.  We have six florists donating centerpieces (Lyndhurst, Monica's, 12th St. Florist, Cloud, Berghaus, and Diamond's Flowers) for the tables.  We have musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music (Conrad, Gary and Doug).

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Tonight on Rock Center...

The National Coalition for the Homeless has worked to assist NBC News with a feature on Family Homelessness in America over the last couple of months ago.   Thursday at 10 p.m. on NBC on the television program Rock Center with Brian Williams will feature an awareness piece on family homelessness. If you paid attention to this website or the Street Chronicle--family homelessness is on the rise and families are the fastest growing population in Cleveland and many other cities.

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Downtown is Much Improved

I participated in the count this Thanksgiving weekend, and I have to say Downtown Cleveland is much better than it was in the 1990s.  It still seems dead compared to the pictures of the 1960s and 1970s and that movie A Christmas Story filmed in Cleveland.  But I have to say that the Downtown is actually beautiful for an industrial city like Cleveland.  There is not the debris blowing around downtown like tumbleweed of the Plain States.   There were visible clean up crews who gave up their Black Friday shopping to keep the downtown looking nice.  There are more people walking around than there were in previous years with the Casino operational, but even the abandoned buildings are well maintained.

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Dramatic Decline in Outside Homeless in Downtown

Where have all the homeless gone?   Every year since 1999, we have walked the downtown from the river to East 20th and the Lake to Carnegie Ave. to see how many people are sleeping downtown.  In the 1990s, Mayor Michael White was ordering the Police to go downtown on Thanksgiving weekend to harass homeless people off of the streets in order to reassure shoppers that it was safe to come downtown.  There were over 60 people sleeping in the downtown in the winter of 1998.

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Say No to Voting Laws During the Lame Duck Session

The Ohio Senate has recommended another change in the law regarding voting procedures to correct some of the issues that came up with the November election.  There were problems with counting provisional ballots and the forms required to complete in order to cast a legitimate provisional vote.  There was a lawsuit over early voting during the last weekend before the election.  There were issues with the hours of operation at the local level for early voting, and the sending out of early voting applications to every registered voter.  There were long lines for early voting and still issues with identification that need to be addressed. 
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Woodchoppers Ball December 8, 2012

12th Annual Benefit for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.
Saturday December 8th 7PM Doors open at 6PM Tickets: $20Advance, $23 Day of Show, all seats reserved
Featuring 9 of the best acoustic guitarists in the World

Hosted by the venerable Charley Brown

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Blanket Drive Starts This Month

Thanks to UAW employees of ALCOA who kicked off our blanket donation drive with a sizable donations of blankets and other items, which went out the door to homeless people on the same day.  We collect blankets and other items for the winter to distribute to those sleeping outside.  We try to collect 500 to 1,000 blankets and distribute it to those who are resistant to shelter. People who sleep outside go through plastic and blankets quickly and need refresher gear every couple of weeks.
For more information go here...

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NEOCH Submits HEARTH Comments

We have posted our comments regarding the changes to funding the shelters here (called HEARTH rules).  This is going to be a big changes for the shelters from how to count homeless people, the intake process and discharge procedures.  It will most likely lead to cities looking differently at transitional shelters.  There were well over 400 comments submitted after the deadline was extended until November 16.  If you want to read the other comments go to www.regulations.gov and enter "Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Continnum of Care."  Click on the docket number FR-5476-N-02 and then HUD-2012-0089 then click "view all comments" and you will see a summary of the 491 comments submitted.
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Updates on Hand Up Gala 2012

The Hand Up Gala is set for December 6, 2012.  We will have a wonderful meal prepared by Chef Matt Barnes of the new LMM Central Kitchen.  He is opening this program later this month which will train culinary students to get jobs in the food service or restaurants of Cleveland.  Chef Barnes will prepare a four star meal for 200.  We have a number of celebrity servers assisting with the lunch including Councilman Zach Reed and Phyllis Cleveland.  Each table will be set with a table cloth and a fresh flower centerpiece. 
For more information go here...
For more information on the Hand Up Gala go here....
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Sad News from Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

We received some sad news of layoffs at the Legal Aid Society in a time of increased need.  Our Homeless Legal Assistance Program is built on all volunteers and has seen two years of increased demand.  We already know that it is nearly impossible to get legal representation in a divorce with children.  We know that it is extremely difficult to find legal help with an eviction for those not in a subsidized building, and there is not much help for anyone facing child support or child custody issues

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NEOCH Lost our Voting Appeal

We lost the appeal that the Secretary of State launched over his last minute directive before the November Election.  The federal district court Algenon Marbley (appointed by President Clinton) had blasted the Secretary of State Jon Husted for issuing this directive only four days before the election late in the evening on Friday.  He had said that it changed state policy from what had happened in the past and what his own lawyers had argued in court only 12 days before this directive.  Judge Marbley believed that the directive violated the Ohio State voting law.

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Thank You to Our Veterans

Today is Veterans Day, and we honor those who served their country.  This Veterans Day comes as we continue to see between 20 and 24% of homeless population made up of individuals who served the United States.   There is a plan to end Veterans homelessness by November 2014.  This is a good thing, but we are a long way from that reality.  We saw a report from HUD this last year that showed a decline in veterans homelessness, but that was based on fiction and guesses that could never withstand academic scrutiny.

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New Paper on the Website

 The new issue of the Cleveland Street Chronicle is now on the streets.  It actually was on the street a couple of weeks back, we just overlooked it because of the election.  The new issue has Raymond and Buzzy on the front cover and has a lot of useful information contained inside.  There are 15 pages of information, news items, features, poetry, photographs, and commentaries.   Please pick one up from your friendly neighborhood vendor today.

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A Victory for Turnout

We wrapped up another historic election, and homeless and subsidized housing residents in Cleveland participated.  In 2008, there were 1,111,286 voters registered in Cuyahoga County and 60.52% of the voters cast a ballot.  This year there were only 927,996 registered voters and 66.5% of the voters cast a ballot in the county. This is a huge victory in the face of all the obstacles put in place that more people turned out in Cuyahoga County than did in 2008.

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Go VOTE!!!

It is time to cast your ballot on Election Day if you have not done it to this point.   We have seen so many obstacles put in our way in order to cast our ballots, but November 6 is the last day.  If you are forced to vote a provisional ballot, be careful.  Election officials in Columbus have made it difficult to complete.  If I had to vote a provisional ballot, I would ask the election precinct judge for help filling out the affirmation.  The forms seems to indicate that it is up to the voter to complete, but the poll worker is supposed to complete the form.  Bottom line is that everyone should avoid the provisional ballot like the you avoid a robocall.

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PD Article Gets Bad Review from Outdoor Homeless

The Shelter Resistant called to complain about the Cleveland Plain Dealer article earlier this week about the campsites that have grown on the near West Side.  There are a number of people who would never live in a shelter even if we opened up the Renaissance Hotel as a shelter.  I was stuck in DC during hurricane Sandy, so I was not in town when the article appeared.  A few of the guys called the office to complain about this invasion of privacy by reporter Mark Naymik.  This is always a tricky situation since publicity usually results in more people offering help, but this is also their home and no one likes a reporter trampling around your home describing your castle no matter if it is brick or blue plastic sheets.

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NEOCH Offers Election Day Help

We have distributed a flyer to all the local shelters offering help with getting out voters.  We are offering a free ride over to polling places anywhere in Northeast Ohio.   NEOCH will be on the phones the entire day answering questions about homeless participation in the election, registration information on clients, and the exact ID needed in order to vote.  We can offer a ride out to Summit County, Geauga County or Lake County if the voter was not able to change their registration because they became homeless over the last 30 days.
For more information on the help that we can offer on Election Day go here...
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Volunteer Opportunities on Election Day

We have a fantastic opportunity to volunteer on Election Day Tuesday November 6—anytime.  We are looking for volunteers to transport homeless people back to their polling place of origin.  If people have become homeless anytime over the last 30 days, they might need a ride back to their polling place to vote.  We have notified shelters that we are available to help.   We still need volunteers early 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and late 3 to 6 p.m.  If you have a car and can help, give us a call at 216-432-0540.  If it is after business hours leave a message at ext. 100.

For More Information go here or here for a summary of all voting documents.

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New Stats on Voter Registration Numbers

We posted information comparing voter turnout in countries from around the world.  It is embarrassing that the United States is on the bottom of the list next to Cameroon.  We need to figure out a way that every citizen is registered to vote or make it mandatory to register and vote in this democratic country.  We need to strip away all the barriers, the state rules that keep people from voting, the disenfranchisement to make it as easy as possible.  Those that choose not to vote should have to pay extra on their taxes for not participating.

Here is the list of counties and their percentage of people who are registered and actually voted...
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Cleveland Food Bank Expands Outreach

The Cleveland Foodbank Help Center is officially open.  They have 4 new full time staff dedicated to answering the phones, completing applications, and helping community members access a variety of nutrition based and other programs.  The rates of food stamp/SNAPs program is relatively low considering how many people are eligible for the help.  This is especially true among those who leave shelter who we find only 68% of the families leaving shelter receive food stamps.

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A Couple of Events Coming Up

New Events posted on our blog

The MedWorks Medical Clinic is this weekend for more details go here...

There is a fair lending/foreclosure conference by Organize Ohio this weekend for more information go here...

There are a number of free legal clinics by the Legal Aid Society available to very low income individuals go here for more information....

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Free Legal Clinics Available

NEOCH assists with the Homeless Legal Assistance Program, and so we understand the importance of attorneys offering help to the homeless community. Here are a couple of free clinic times when a low income individual may be able to find help with their legal question or be assigned an attorney.  These are sponsored by the Legal Aid Society and complement the Cleveland Bar Association/NEOCH program.
The Legal Aid Society has many FREE legal advice events this week and into next month.  Attorneys will be available at each event, providing free advice to those in need.

For more information go here...
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HUD Issues Rules for Distribution of Shelter Dollars

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued new rules for the distribution of funds to the shelters.  These were issued in July 2012 and the comment period was extended until November 16, 2012.  It is important to add your own local statistics, experiences, and examples to influence the thinking of the officials at HUD in Washington.  We have a couple of pages of comments that NEOCH will be submitting here under September 2012 on our advocacy page.

For more information go here...
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Another Victory on Counting Provisional Ballots

Today, the federal appeals court affirmed the decision of Judge Marbley to allow the counting of provisional ballots even for those who are misdirected to the wrong precinct by the poll workers.  This was decided during this summer, but the State of Ohio and Secretary of State appealed to the US Appeals court.  Our position was clear, if a woman struggles to get the polling place and she is told to vote at the wrong table in the gym because of an error by a poorly trained poll worker her vote should still count.

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New Items on Website

We have updated the contact information for the school liaisons in Cuyahoga County.  Every school district must designate one person on staff who can assist homeless children when they lose their housing during the school year.  Every year we update this list on our site.  We have the new list on our site under "Find Help" at the top of the page. We have posted Issue 21 of the Homeless Grapevine archive. We have posted a second profile of Raymond the vendor.  This was written by a wonderful volunteer, Bernadette, who passed away in the last few years.  She had a great time sitting down and talking to Raymond.  Finally, we added some new stats comparing the number of vacancies in public housing to the number of units in various large cities in the United States.  We also have a similar chart on the Housing Choice voucher program.  We try to post various statistics about homelessness and housing in this section of our website.

For more information click on the above links or go to the new on the site section of our website.

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Nina Turner Attends Homeless Congress

As a first time attendee of the Homeless Congress meeting, I first of all thought that the turnout was great.  Many homeless persons came out to hear the concerns and to get responses from NEOCH , Northeast Ohio Coalition for the homeless, which brought in a guest speaker  Senator Nina Turner.  Senator Turner sat amongst the homeless people at the Bishop Cosgrove Center located at the 1800 block between Payne Avenue  and Superior Avenue.

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Plastic Blankets Arrive at NEOCH

Earlier this year, we were amazed by these mats or blankets made by a volunteer out of plastic bags collected from grocery stores.  We were amazed by the craftsmanship and diligence of collecting thousands of bags and them putting them together in a roll out mat with a handle.  

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Victories in Cincinnati

We received a note from Cincinnati officials that they had two victories over the last few weeks.  The Board of Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to uphold the previous decision of the Historic Conservation Board in favor of the Anna Louise Inn.  There will be other hearings and at least one appeal in the near future.  

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Husted Backs Down on Appeal of NEOCH Lawsuit

OnTuesday September 11, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced that he would not appeal Judge Algenon Marbley's decision enforcing our settlement with the state of Ohio.  For some reason the case is now called SEIU vs. Husted, but was previously NEOCH vs. Brunner and originally NEOCH vs. Blackwell, but whatever.  Husted issued a directive clarifying that if a voter goes to the wrong precinct at the instruction of a poll worker their provisional ballot must count.

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NEOCH Board Supports Issue 2

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless Board voted last week to support the passage of Issue 2.  There are a lot of good reasons to support this legislation including the current broken system and that this is a step in the right direction.  You can find many good reasons to vote for Issue #2 on the Voters First website (www.votersfirstohio.com).  But our main reason for supporting this issue is the destructive nature of the the two new Congressional districts in Cleveland.  The most offensive district is #9 which extends from Toledo to the West Side of Cleveland, and District 11 which snakes through Cuyahoga and Summit Counties to bring every possible African American into one district.

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Long Time Friend Retires

Continue Life is a small shelter on the border of Cleveland and East Cleveland that serves young mothers.  They have always been one of the few facilities that has trained staff to serve pregnant women who happen to be homeless.  Their long time director, Balinda Cavor announced her retirement on September 10, 2012.   Ms. Cavor was always a good friend of the Coalition, and has collaborated on a number of projects over the years.

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Dramatic Increase in Family Homelessness in Cleveland

In most cities, the number of family experiencing homelessness increases during the summer.  The summer is now over, and so we can look back on family homelessness in 2012 in Cleveland.  As of September 12, there were 590 families who attempted to enter the shelters in Cleveland. Last year there were only 383 families who entered the shelters for the entire year according to statistics released by the Office of Homeless Services. That is a 154% of last year and we still have three more months.  This is a huge increase that should trouble everyone.

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Labor Day Week Voter Update

We are going to send vans around during Golden Week Tuesday October 2, Wednesday October 3, Thursday October 4, Friday October 5, and then Tuesday October 9 between 9 and 5 p.m.   We will have a van available to stop at the shelters and take people to the Board of Elections to vote and/or change their address.  
A couple of other questions came up this week from the social service community:
ID law:  What if the address on their ID does not match the voter’s current address?

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Another Victory for Access to Voting...Another Appeal

Those seeking expanded access to the ballot box won another victory this Friday with a federal court judge ruling that the local boards of election must be open the last three days before election day to vote.  This was a lawsuit brought by Democrats, the Obama Presidential campaign and others who argued that it was unfair for active duty veterans to be able to vote in person on the last weekend while the rest of Ohio had to wait until election day to vote.

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Voting Issues in the News

There also were a series of positive editorials in the Plain Dealer regarding the partisan nature of the Secretary of State's office.  They have suggested uniform standards drafted to maximize participation.  They caution against changes right before the election such as purges or changes in procedure, and should allow variation based on the region.

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Another Victory Over Voter Suppression Activities

Yesterday Judge Algenon Marbley has once again ruled in our favor of protecting all legal voters in Ohio and assuring that their ballot are counted.  (I still do not understand why the Plain Dealer does not use our name in the coverage of this court case.  This is our hometown paper but referred to us as a "local homeless coalition?")  We have documented the progess of this case here, and here.  This latest decision orders the state to issue an order to the local boards of elections that they must count all provisional ballots including those which are submitted as a result of poll worker error. Jon Husted, Ohio Secretary of State, and a spokesperson has already told the media that he plans to appeal the order

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Foreclosure Stats Added

We have added statistics on foreclosures in Cuyahoga County and the other big counties in Ohio.  We try to add statistics periodically to the site to keep people coming back.  We have also updated the website regarding the upcoming Hand Up Gala.  We have received a number of great items for the Hand Up Gala auction.  We are hoping for an event in early November depending on the availablity of the chef.

For more information go here...
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Homelessness and Housing in the News

Yesterday the Washington Post had a poignant story about Peter Bis who had passed away while living on the streets of DC.  He had a great story of traveling the country, living next to the United Nations, and then settling in DC.  It is unfortunate that our health care system does not do a better job of taking care of those struggling with a mental illness.  Peter Bis sounded like a great person that deserved a place inside with a door to lock for his peace of mind.  Imagine the stories Bis could have written or the creative mind that could have been unleashed on the world had he not had to worry every single day where he was going to live that night.  

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Mexican Students Learn About Local Non-Profits

 I had the honor to discuss creating and building non-profit organizations at the request of the Cleveland Council of World Affairs with a group of future Mexican leaders.  These students were picked to come to the United States because they all had ideas for how to improve the lives of other Mexican teenagers in fragile cities.  They all had ideas for mentoring programs, after school engagement activities or small businesses to occupy the time of those thinking of leaving school.

For More Information on this Post go here....

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Phillip Morris Blames the Poor for Poverty

Finally, Phillip Morris of the Cleveland Plain Dealer stopped picking on low income renters and moved on to protecting the vote in Ohio.  I was afraid he was going to attack elderly Americans for slowing down traffic while they cross the street in their walkers or beating up on kids who force increases in property taxes to pay for "special needs" education.   The last two weeks he has antagonized Ms. Mixon and her struggles with the Cleveland Housing Network. 

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Evictions Stats Added to Website

We have added eviction statistics to the website.   Cuyahoga had a steady number of evictions compared to previous years at 21,600 and the City of Cleveland had 11,100 evictions filed in 2011.  For information on evictions in Cuyahoga County and some of the major cities in Ohio go here. 

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More Voting Items

We have posted three entries about voting in Ohio and Pennsylvania over the last week on our voting blog.  They include:

• Grace, our intern, put together an overview of the Plain Dealer discussion regarding voting on the last weekend before the November election.
• A Pennsylvania judge let stand a law that requires ID to vote this November.
•  Secretary of State ordered uniform voting hours in Ohio then terminates Montgomery County Board members. 

See our special voting blog on the NEOCH website for more information
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Homeless Voting Updates 8/8/2012

Thanks to Bishop Cosgrove Center, Continue Life, Norma Herr Center, North Point Transitional, Railton House, St. Malachi, Transitional Housing Inc., and Y-Haven that all turned in registration forms last week.  
A few voting questions came up over the last week: The first was:  Most of your clients are already registered to vote, but they most likely need to change their address. 

Here is a link to the full post...
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Veterans Homeless Stats

We have added a page of stats on veterans homelessness and poverty numbers.  These are the latest statistics in the State of Ohio and Cuyahoga County as we are over halfway to ending homelessness among veterans in America.  We have also added more research to the website as well as reorganizing the statistics to make them more accessible.  Grace has improved the site with regard to information on the Hand Up Gala and this fund raising opportunity. 

For information on what is new on the site go here...
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Voting Updates for August 1

Thanks to Continue Life, Salvation Army PASS, Zelma George, Joseph’s Home, Hitchcock Center, St. Malachi Center, Salvation Army Railton, and Y-Haven for participating in the voter registration drive last week.  We appreciate all their help in getting homeless people to participate in democracy. You are free to mail the forms directly to the board, but remember that they have to be sent within 7 or 8 days of signing the form.  You can’t really save them all up until you have a large number. 

For more information on this blog go here...
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Updates on Voting Events

NEOCH staff will be going around every week to pick up completed voter registration cards to drop off at the Board of Elections.  We dropped off blank forms this last week to every homeless social service provider in the community.  Many shelters are sending their registrations directly to the Board, but we are helping out some of the big shelters to get these returned in a timely manner.

For more information go here...
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Website Updates

We have made a number of upgrades on the website that we invite you to explore.  We have regular updates of our blog, our information blog, our portraits of homeless people, and press releases.  We have a section of the website dedicated to homeless voting that also has regular updates of new events.  We have added a survey to the site for members of the Coalition to complete.  This survey will allow us to revise our programming to meet the needs in the community.  We hope that you will take a few minutes to complete the membership survey
For more information go here....
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Los Angeles Hate Crimes Against Homeless People

While our attention has been rightly focused on the senseless killings in the Denver suburbs at the movie premier, a frightening number of attacks on homeless people while they slept came to an end.  Starting around Independence Day, a man attacked a homeless man with a knife and left a "death warrant" with the man.  The homeless guy who was not named wandered into the street and was taken to the hospital.  Three homeless individuals were stabbed while sleeping in Greater Los Angeles, and two homeless people were suspected of being stabbed in Santa Barbara.

For more information on this post go here....
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Secretary of State Appeals Provisional Ballot Ruling

In another waste of public dollars and time, the Ohio Secretary of State is appealing the ruling that went against the State of Ohio two weeks ago.  Secretary of State Jon Husted announced that he was appealing our victory regarding the counting of provisional ballots.  I could not find much in the media about this story and there was not a press release on the Secretary of State's website yet.

For more information on this blog go here...
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Bogus Solicitors in Coventry

During the nice summer weather, we have seen people out claiming to solicit donations to support homeless programs.  There is a gang of women operating mostly in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland who pray upon the goodwill of shoppers and restaurant patrons by asking for donations for homeless shelters or services.  This is a scam, and none of the money goes to any of the shelters.  Only the Salvation Army bell ringers with their familiar red kettle and the Street Chronicle newspaper vendors are out on the sidewalks asking for monetary support. 

For more information go here....
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Obama Campaign Sues Ohio over Early Voting

The Obama campaign and the Democrats have sued the State of Ohio over the hours the polling places will be open for early voting. .  This is great news, but why does every thing have to be so political in allowing people to vote?  There is no way for non-partisan groups like NEOCH to push an agenda that homeless individuals in our society will have the opportunity to vote without looking as though we are siding with one political party.  It is hard for the League of Women Voters, COHHIO or other groups to not appear as fronts for the Democratic Party.

For more information on this post go here...
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Rally to Extend Voting Hours in Cuyahoga County

Union members, clergy, and advocates were called together by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and Congressman Dennis Kucinich over the decision last week to limit the number of hours the Board of Election will be open for early voting.  Congresswoman Fudge complained that this was an attempt to "point shave"  a couple thousand voters from actually casting a ballot.  Representative Sandra Williams complained that this was familiar to many in Cuyahoga County who migrated north because of the Jim Crow laws of the South.

For more information on this post go here....
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Fewer Hours to Vote for 2012

At the end of last week, Secretary of State, Jon Husted weighed in on a tie vote in Cuyahoga County over the hours the Board will be open.  Unions and churches are going to hold a demonstration at 10 am on Monday July 16 to oppose this decision to limit the hours for early voting.   The Board voted last week in two to two tie to extend the hours on the weekend and into the evening to allow voters plenty of time to vote, as had been done in Cuyahoga County in the primary this year and in the 2010, 2008 and 2006 elections.   Why wouldn't the Secretary of State and every member of the Board of Elections want to offer every single chance for voters as possible in order to avoid the lines we saw in 2004 on election day, and the lines we saw on Saturdays and Sundays in 2008 presidential election?

For more information go here....
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Check out New Items on the Website

 There are a number of new items added to the NEOCH website.  We hope that you will visit the site on a regular basis to keep informed about homelessness in Cleveland and we give a summary of the changes here.   One of the new updates is a profile of one of our speakers. We try to provide inspirational experiences of people who overcome homelessness.  Here is a piece of the story from Don:

A conversation with Street Voices Speaker Don is so open, honest and compelling that it is an experience to remember. Don holds nothing back. He tells of his failures and his triumphs in the same low key. The quality of frankness in his speeches at High Schools, churches and community centers is certain to be highly inspirational, especially to people mired in lost hopes, loneliness, or tough addictions.  (More on the website.)

One of our interns, Grace, has created a page on the Hand Up Gala in which we are working on for the fall 2012.   Finally, we regularly provide statistics and provide information about the State of Homelessness in Cleveland.  That information can be found here.  There is something for everyone on the website.  We have statistics for policy wonks, profiles for those who like the personal stories, and wonderful photographs many taken by formerly homeless people. 

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CMHA Update

Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Meeting

The community does not give enough the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority enough credit for successes.  But for the last four years, they received millions in support and quickly and efficiently built or re-built a number of properties adding hundreds of affordable housing units in Cleveland.  The monthly meeting of the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance was  July 9^th and featured the CEO of CMHA, Jeffrey Patterson and senior administrator, Scott Pollock.

For more information on this post go here...
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Another Voting Rights Victory

In another stinging rebuke of attempts to limit the number of voters in Ohio, the Secretary of State was denied his ability to cast aside the agreement signed with the NEOCH from 2010.  This is the third time that our agreement on counting all provisional ballots has withstood a challenge.  We hope that the state of Ohio will stop challenging this agreement and instead focus on getting as many people as possible to vote and then figuring out a way to assure that all those who take the time to show up to vote have those votes counted.
For more information on this entry go here...
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News Updates on Homelessness

Heat and Homelessness

Extreme weather is always dangerous for those living outside.  Most people remember homeless people when Cleveland gets a big snow storm, and the media calls for more help.  But when temperatures reach over 100 degrees those outside are in nearly the same danger as those outside in January.  Dehydration can come on quickly.  The world starts spinning and the individual becomes disoriented, and can quickly pass out.
For more information on this post go here...
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Boycott Western and Southern

The advocates in Cincinnati are asking for a national boycott to remind this national corporation that every community needs to find a home for women struggling in our society.  We have to send a message to Western and Southern- women and affordable housing are valuable and contribute to our society and should not be pushed to the fringes.   One of the largest insurance companies in the United States must stop the legal actions against Anna Louise Inn

For more information on this post go here...
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Statistics on Shelter Residents

Shelter Statistics for 2012
Provided by the Office of Homeless Services using Homeless Management Information System data.

• Number of people who were newly homeless single adults in Cleveland in 2011 who sought shelter:       3,496
• Number of people served by both emergency and transitional shelters in Cuyahoga County in 2011:       8,280

For more information on this post go here...
We have also corrected the broken link to submit comments to the website here.
We have added a page on the site about the Homeless Congress, one of the best programs NEOCH helps to coordinate here...
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Bob Dyer Hates Panhandlers

Some children see a shadow in the night and transform it into the Boogie Man or they hear a strange noise and it becomes the "monster under the bed."  Bob Dyer, columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper (or the shell of what previously was a newspaper) must have had a one-eyed man with a wooden leg bump into him as a child while Christmas shopping at Higbees, and he has forever had a vendetta for the downtown fixtures known as panhandlers. 

For more information on this post go here...
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New Street Chonicle Published

The new issue of the Cleveland Street Chronicle is on the streets right now and being sold by the vendors just in time for Independence Day.  We have an interview with Ohio native, Barb Poppe of the federal Interagency Council on Homelessness.  There is a discussion about the new policy of attempting to divert people as they enter shelter featuring both interviews from the defenders and critics of the program. Most of the vendors submitted stories for the paper.

For more information on this post go here...
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Upcoming Events in the Community

On Monday July 9 at 1:30 p.m. the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meets at the US Bank/HUD offices at 1350 Euclid Ave. in Downtown Cleveland. This meeting is a way to educate the public, housing providers and government about new programs or new resources in the community.
For more on this post go here...
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Punishing Ohio Voters??

Ohio Secretary of State Wants to Disenfranchise Voters

Anyway, we had a hearing on the Ohio Secretary of State's attempt to eliminate the agreement we signed with the state in 2010.  Both the Plain Dealer and Dayton Daily News covered the story (Our name was mentioned in Dayton--thanks).  As we have described in previous posts, the last Secretary of State signed an agreement with us to correct a problem in which voters who had given bad information had their ballots thrown out.
Check out our voting section of the website here....
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Fair Housing Workshop

How Fair Housing Rights Can Help Your Clients/Consumers!
        Wednesday July 18, 2012
        1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

        Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Center

        3450 Lee Road Shaker Hts. 44120

CEUs for Social Workers 

For more information go here....

Or you can go to the Inclusion and Stability Website....

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Panhandling Madness

People get so angry about panhandling.  It is a dividing point in our society.  There are passionate people on both sides of the issue.  There are those who love bypassing all the bureaucracy and administration of nearly every non-profit to give directly to a person in need.  Then there are those who hate seeing people have to beg for money, and know that most of the donation is going to feed a chemical addiction.  There are those that want to have a connection with a stranger who is struggling as directed by most spiritual texts.

For more on this post go here...
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Homeless People Benefit from Expanded Health Care

A big victory for the uninsured in America today, and a big victory for homeless people.  Our own healthcare for the homeless in Cleveland, Care Alliance, serves nearly 10,000 people per year.  88% of their clients do not have any insurance, 9% have regular medicaid, and 2% have Medicare with only 1% having private health insurance.  Today the United States Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate, which will allow thousands of homeless people in Cleveland to find a health care home in America. There will be thousands currently living in subsidized housing who will now have access to affordable health care.  This is great news.

Go here for more information...
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What Can I do to Help?

Donations Needed this Summer

Dorothy wanted to pass along a summer donation opportunity especially for religious organizations.  How about a summer youth project collecting hygiene kits for homeless people?   The perfect hygiene kit is a "Glad Ziploc" bag filled with trial size bathroom items.  We are looking for toothpaste, a toothbrush, trial size soap, conditioner, and maybe some lotion.  A wash cloth is always great along with a razor.  A small size deodorant and maybe a comb or a trial size package of Q-tips.  Anything else is a bonus such a fingernail clippers or lip balm or some band aids.  All of these items are welcomed by the homeless community.

For more information go here....
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My Time Volunteering at NEOCH

by Duncan Peters
When I first learned about NEOCH I was uninterested in coming here. I did not want to do my Project Real here at all. The reason for this was because I have a tendency to be a bit lazy and I do not like doing work. Especially writing papers or typing articles. When I arrived here, I tried to have a positive outlook on the situation. I knew I would be stuck in this for about a week so I had to make the most of my days here.
The first day was a little rough for me. I wasn’t expecting the work load that I was given.

Go here to read the rest of the post...
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Key vs. the City of Cleveland

In February of 2000, we settled our fifth lawsuit against the City of Cleveland.  We were stuck in this game between homeless people and the City of Cleveland.  Every Thanksgiving, they would send out a press release imploring shoppers to come downtown and ignore the homeless living outside.  This was the trigger for the police to go out and demand that homeless people disappear.  In a time to give thanks and reflect on the story of a prophet or the son of God being born homeless in a manger when homeless people would have to pack up and move under bridges or any other place that is out of sight by order of the City.

For more information on this post go here...
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Derelict Paradise and Casinos

I love Roldo Bartimole.  He is a treasure for the City of Cleveland.  We are so lucky that Roldo agreed to stay in Cleveland despite our ineptitude, corruption and our inability to make decisions on big projects.  We need more Roldos in this city.  You would think with the ease of publishing today we would have more Roldos in every city.  After all, when Roldo was doing his best muckraking in the City, he had to type all this stuff out in his house and then pay to print off copies of his Point of View.  He had to pay to mail them to the movers and shakers in Cleveland to get his opinions circulated.  Now, he can post something on the internet and more people in one hour can read his stuff then read every Point of View he ever published.

For more information on this entry click here....
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Fair Housing Statistics

At the May Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance Meeting, Hilary King, executive director of the Housing Research and Advocacy Center, presented the results of the Annual report on Fair Housing in Northeast Ohio.  Fair Housing complaints continued to increase and here are few of the statistics. The full report is available on HRAC website at TheHousingCenter.org.  We will give an overview comparison between 2000 and 2010.  The six counties are Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina

We have posted a summary of the State of Fair Housing Report in our Information Blog...
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Cleveland Homeless to Harvard

Margaret Bernstein is correct in her commentary about homeless students this weekend, but she really never gave us anyway to make sure that no student has to sleep on the bleachers again. This should be obvious and in a society that can build casinos, shining cathedrals, and beautiful courthouses, we should never have a child sleeping outside.  Unfortunately, there were very few solutions in Ms. Bernstein's commentary that would have prevented Boone from sleeping outside.
For the complete post go here...

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Voting Hearing Part 2

The second panel that spoke were comprised of both supporters of the Ohio voting changes as well as those opposed to the legislation. Rick Nagin has a nice summary of the hearing here.
Daniel Tokaji--OSU Professor of Law and expert on voting
Professor Tokaji testified in opposition to the HB 194 in Ohio, which he identified as the "wrong direction."  He was especially critical of limiting early voting  and eliminating the ability to vote on Sunday at the Board of Elections offices, because African American and Hispanic voters turn out on Sundays.

For more information go here...
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In Memorium: Roosevelt Darby

I had the privilege of serving on the National Coalition for the Homeless Board of Directors with Roosevelt Darby Jr. who represented the City of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania.  He had previous experience with homelessness, but that was not what defined him or how he identified himself.  He was an amazing advocate for homeless people, and because of his history he knew what would make things better for those living on the streets.  There was actually a wonderfully written story in the Philadelphia Daily News here.

For the complete post go here...
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Notes on Voting Hearing

Congressional Hearing on Voting

We posted our testimony submitted to the US Senate regarding voting changes in Ohio here.  We also have an entire section of voting on our website in order to educate our constituents about the new challenges to trying to participate in democracy for homeless people.  The bottom line message on all of this is that homeless people need to vote by mail or vote at the Board of Elections early, and the best time is the five day "Golden week" in Ohio.  Enclosed are some observations from the voting hearing held in Cleveland on May 7, 2012 to view those notes go here.

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Cuyahoga County Makes Improvements

Hunger Funds Overseen by United Way

In April 2012, the County decided to outsource the distribution of hunger dollars to the United Way and the Emergency Food and Hunger Committee that meets to distribute FEMA funds to shelters and hunger centers.  This is a great idea and an example of County Government functioning in a fair and efficient manner.  NEOCH has a board position on the Emergency Food and Hunger Committee, and have often wondered why it did not serve a more prominent role in the community.  They have every expert on food and shelter around the table and are overseen by the United Way.

For more information go here....
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My Thoughts on Jim Schlecht

I had the privilege of planning and speaking at the Jim Schlecht celebration.  No he is not retiring or dying.  Randy Cunningham of CTO decided that it was time to celebrate Jim's amazing body of work on behalf of the hungry and homeless.  Here is what I tried to say if I was a better speaker.  If you want to see pictures from the event go here.

For more information go here....
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Government vs. Homeless People

For the first time in Cleveland, the State of Ohio turned down tax credits to move a Permanent Supportive Housing Project forward.  There was some controversy with regard to this project, and the Plain Dealer gave coverage to the groups opposed to this property.  In an amazing stance, the liberal Green Party candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive came out against housing homeless people in his neighborhood. 

We also have information about Philadelphia regulating food.
We also have information about government inaction in San Francisco over torture methods to disperse homeless people.
For more information go here.

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Testimony on Voter Suppression Activities

Federal Congressional Hearing on Voting in Cleveland

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless attended and submitted testimony to Senator Durbin as part of the US Congressional Hearing on voting that took place on Monday May 7, 2012 at the Stokes Court Room in Cleveland.  We have posted the testimony we submitted on our website here. 

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Updates from Around Ohio

The Ohio Coalition for Homeless Advocates met the week of May 1 and we have given a few updates from around the state. 

Cincinnati: The Anna Louise Inn Shelter has been fighting to expand and was delivered a set back on Friday in their dispute with Western and Southern Financial Services. Anna Louise Inn is a battered women's shelter and home for recovering prostitutes, and has a desperate need to expand after a century of service.  After being in the same location for over 100 years, the place needs renovation and expansion.  The Union Bethel parent non-profit had raised the $12.4 million for the renovation and the City of Cincinnati had approved the expansion. 

For more information go here...
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Food Insecurity Stats Added

The  NEOCH website added statistics and graphs on the food insecurity in Ohio.  You can go to the Information blog to check them out.  We have information about food stamp usage in Ohio and the increase in usage since the recession started in Ohio.

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Jim Schlecht Biography

This is the summary that appeared in the program that Ms. Valentine put together for the celebration last week. The biography was written by Randy Cunningham, a long time environmental and housing advocate in Cleveland especially the NEAR WEST SIDE of Cleveland. We have to thank Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman for his certificate of recognition and for Congressman Dennis Kucinich who honored Jim with a recognition on the floor of the US House of Representatives.  Check out our photo display from the award's ceremony.

Click here to see the full post on Jim Schlecht
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Jim Schlecht Celebration

We the members of Cleveland’s progressive community recognize Jim Schlecht for his thirty years of exemplary service to the least among us and his ability to demonstrate compassion on the streets of Cleveland.  We recognize his struggle for mercy and peace in a society that does not always embrace the Beatitudes. Cleveland is a better place to raise a family because of Jim Schlecht’s work everyday to reduce hunger and homelessness and find justice for the persecuted. Presented this 24^th Day of April 2012.
For More information with a photo display go here.
We have also added a page on the NEOCH/Homeless Congress Advocacy Agenda here.
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Voting Field Hearing Announced

US Congress Announces Voting Hearing in Cleveland

Field Hearing Details:  The Subcommittee on the Constitution Civil Rights and Human Rights will hold a field hearing examining the impact of the new state voting laws that have recently swept the country, including HB 194 in Ohio.  Among other things, HB 194 restricts early voting, limits the distribution of absentee ballots, and no longer requires poll workers to direct voters to their proper precincts.  The hearing will be held the morning of Monday, May 7, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. at 9:30 a.m. at the Carl Stokes US Federal Courthouse at the corner of Superior and Huron Rd near the Detroit Superior Bridge.
For more information go here...
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Meeting With HUD Secretary

As part of the National Coalition for the Homeless Board meeting, we had the privilege of meeting Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.  He attended the meeting on Sunday afternoon before flying out of Washington.  Attending with the HUD Secretary was long time staff member Mark Johnston who is the director of special populations. 
For more information go here...
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New Street Chronicle on the Streets

Issue 19.1 Available for Sale

The new issue of the Cleveland Street Chronicle is now on the streets.  We have been selling it for a couple of weeks.  This issue is unique in that nearly every vendor contributed a poem or story.  This issue is heavy on the commentary and light on the news, but still a good 15 pages.  It is well worth the $1.25 and the support for the vendor.  There is an interview with Hilary King, the director of the fair housing group, Housing Research and Advocacy Center.
For More Information go here...
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Homeless People Do Vote

Cuyahoga County officials convened a meeting of all the shelters to talk about a plan to get homeless people to register and vote in the upcoming election.  Cuyahoga County is one of few communities in the United States that requires each publicly funded shelter submit a plan to get their residents to vote.  We applaud county Office of Homeless Services for supporting the 1990s Voter Motor law and seeing the importance of homeless people voting. We have built a special section of the NEOCH website around voting issues.

For More information go here
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New Stats on our Website

Updates on the Poverty 

 The NEOCH website now has the 2010 Census data on poverty and homelessness in Ohio.  It lists the cities in Northeast Ohio as well as the largest cities in Ohio.  The estimates on homelessness are all based on a percentage of the people who live below poverty losing their housing during the year.  This does not mean that they show up at the shelters, but most likely means that they will stay on couch or with family or friends.  It is good overview of the extent of the problem we are confronting.   Click here for the chart. 

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Denver: Illegal to Be Homeless

Denver Council Passing Anti-Camping Ordinance

It all sounds so nice and innocent until you actually begin to think of the implications.  The City of Denver is going down the path of making it illegal to be homeless downtown.  The Denver Post is supporting the plan while the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is opposing the ordinance.  They had battling editorials/commentaries this past week.  These are awful laws that do nothing for the city, and have failed nearly everywhere.

To read more go here.
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One Million Searches

Housing Cleveland.org Goes Over One Million Searches

NEOCH is co-administrator of the website, Housingcleveland.org along with 211/First Call for Help.  This affordable housing website contains around 2,000 available units.  Last week we reached a milestone with over 1 million searches having been conducted over the last year.  There were over 140,000 unique users who conducted these searches.

For more information go here.
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Amazing Donations

Someone Really Cares About Homeless People.

We received a donation of mats made out of plastic bags from the grocery store.  Click over to the story to see pictures of these amazing mats.  Speaking of donations, we did not make our goal of 5,000 blankets this year.  I think that the mild winter made it harder to get people into the frame of mind for donating.  Plus we actually did not need as many blankets.  There was not as many nights of overflow needed this last winter.

Click here to see the mats and read more about donations.
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Regulating Food Distribution in America

It Will Never Work
Both Philadelphia and New York City mayors have announced plans to restict access to food for hungry residents.  The Philadelphia Mayor announced in mid March that he was going to try to restrict distribution of food in parks.  New York City officials are restricting access to donated food to the shelters. Both these efforts will fail, and we know in Cleveland the pitfalls of trying to bring some order to the chaotic world of food distribution.

For more on this issue go here.
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Fair Housing Forum

Mental Health And Housing

Our friends at the Housing Research and Advocacy Center are having an event to teach people more about fair housing for people with a mental health issues.  It is Thursday April 5 at Greenbridge Apartments at 9 a.m.  This should be a good chance to get your questions answered from one of the premier fair housing groups in Ohio.
For more information go here.
Brian
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WCPN Covers Homeless Issues

Dan Kerr's Book Featured on Radio

Yesterday, WCPN and the morning show, the Sound of Ideas, featured a discussion about homelessness or more specifically a look at Dan Kerr's book Derelict Paradise which traces the history of homelessness in Cleveland.  We had a Street Voices speaker, Sheri West on who successfully transitioned from shelter back into housing in 2008 and 2009.  An interview with Ms. West will be in the next Street Chronicle.   I was also able to participate.  Jeff Kaiser Executive Director of Haven of Rest in Akron participated by telephone.
For More information go here.
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Bridgeways is Closing

Another Big Hole in our Safety Net

The cuts at the state and federal level have taken a heavy toll on our community locally with the announcement today of the closing of Bridgeways mental health facility.  Without an ability to raise additional revenue at the state or federal level, there is extreme pressure on the local County and City to do more with less.  Today it was announced that one our critical human service agencies is going out of business by April 30, 2012.

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For more information go here.

Check out the New Website

Everything is working

The new site is up and everything (including our e-mail) is working.  Please explore.  Thanks to Lightcomm and Jesse for all his hard work on the new site.  A couple of notes on the new site include the pictures on the front page are from the Grapevine photography project in which a series of professional photographers taught homeless people the art of photography.
To read the full post go here.
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NEOCH having E-mail Issues

New Website is Available

Our new website is up and available.  It has all kinds of new resources and new information on the site.  One issue right now is that our e-mail is not working properly.  If you are trying to send an e-mail to NEOCH, it may have bounced back.  We have not received an e-mail since Tuesday at 8:30 pm.   If you need to reach us, you can send an e-mail to clevelandhomeless (at) yahoo (dot) com.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  We should have this working in the near future.

Brian 
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NEOCH Annual Meeting

Congratulations to Chandra and Stowe NEOCH Award Winners

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless held its annual meeting on March 15, 2012.  We introduced our 2011 Annual Report which is available on our website here.  We also gave out awards and had a nice meal provided by the Board.   Subodh Chandra was recognized as the Advocate of the Year for all his work protecting the rights of homeless to vote in person.  The Board recognized Brent Stowe from Lakewood as the Volunteer of the Year for 2011 for his help in restarting the street newspaper locally.

For more information go here.
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