Homeless Count and the Danger of Releasing Numbers

I did not do a good job of describing the NEOCH position on the release of numbers by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.   We have talked about this every year that these numbers come out, and a report is issued for Congress.   This is to prove to legislators that the millions spent on homeless services are worthwhile and not sending good money after bad.   In the 1980s and early 1990s, there were so many exaggerated numbers released by advocates, researchers, local government, and social service providers that Congress demanded some real numbers.  Now, we get this terribly flawed report with no basis in reality.

 For More on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Changes Coming to Social Security in 2014

There was news from the Cleveland Identification Collaborative. 

• Printouts will no longer be issued in February at local offices. Printouts were being used as a document needed to get a state identification.
• Security and budget constraints require Social Security to stop the practice of issuing printouts.
• 6 million printouts were issued last year (2012) up from the 200,000 issued in 2002
• Employers can utilize I-Verify to verify employees numbers there is also a business service offered by Social Security which allows for online verification on a fee basis

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Ohio Safer Compared to Other States

In the new report issued by the National Coalition for the Homeless they rank the states according to how dangerous they are for homeless people.  Ohio has been in the top 5 for dangerous states for the past 10 years.  Typically, we have had seven to ten attacks with one or two resulting in death.  Cleveland has seen rock attacks, stun gun attacks, rapes and bricks thrown from cars.  Most of the attacks over the last 14 years took place in Cincinnati and the Dayton area.  It is always strange how cities with a great deal of hostility toward homeless programs and people always are at the top of the list of hate crimes directed at the poor.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Homeless Memorial Day 2013

December 21, 2013 at 7 p.m. at St. Malachi Candlelight Vigil to remember those who passed away!
Please join us as we remember those who have experienced homelessness and died over the last year.  This is a candlelight vigil as part of the National Homeless Memorial Day taking place in over 100 cities in the United States.  The memorial is on the first day of winter at St. Malachi social hall as part of the Metanoia project at 7 p.m.   We typically have a group of religious leaders who offer prayers for those who died. 
For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Hate Crimes Report Released by NCH

Senseless Violence: A Survey of Hate Crimes and Violence against the Homeless in 2012 documents the known cases of violence against homeless individuals in 2012. The report includes descriptions of the cases as well as recommendations to help prevent violence against homeless individuals.
The National Coalition for the Homeless has been tracking hate crimes against homeless individuals since 1999. This year’s report only shows a slight improvement in the number of lethal attacks. In 2012 alone, of the 88 attacks, 18 resulted in deaths.
For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Homeless Stand Down Volunteer Opportunities

Greetings from our friends at Hands On NEO:
Please visit our website www.handsonneo.org to view volunteer opportunities for the 2014 Homeless Stand Down to be held at Cleveland Public Auditorium, 500 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday January 25, 2014. Opportunities in support of the Stand Down begin as early as January 5th for donation sorting and continue through February 2 for CareVan Day support.   Please encourage your co-workers, congregation, and friends to volunteer for a truly worthy cause.

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Nelson Mandela: A Social Justice Champion

A sad day for Social Justice groups around the world with the passing of Nelson Mandela.  Most community organizers, advocates and progressive activists cut their teeth participating in Anti-Apartheid demonstrations.  I joined a group at Case Western Reserve pushing the university to divest of investments in South Africa until their racist form of government was ended.  We had demonstrations and pushed the board of trustees to divest.  Mandela has to be considered one of the greatest champions of Social Justice of the last century.  He persevered and prevailed through his strength of spirit.  He inspired a generation of social change agents throughout the world.   He was willing to die for freedom, but through his imprisonment he started a movement. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Woodchoppers Ball on December 7

Please remember that the Woodchopper's Ball is this weekend.   This fundraiser for NEOCH is held on Saturday December 7 at 8 p.m. at the Kent Stage.  Here is a detailed description of each guitarist.  Nine of the best finger-style guitar players in America come together at The Kent Stage for the 13th Annual Woodchoppers Ball. The Woodchoppers Ball is a Benefit for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. All seats reserved.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Donate to NEOCH on #GivingTuesday

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless is a valuable essential service in Cleveland.  We have:

• Kept advocacy that has an impact on homeless people such as the Change.org petition to protect the privacy rights of homeless people in the community. 
• Regularly updated the Homeless Street Card as a resource for those on the streets of Cleveland to direct them to the services available in the community.  
• Marketed HousingCleveland.org to other Counties and it is regularly used by 100 housing case workers every month and 153 unique users a day conducting 57,000 searches in the last 28 days. 
• We host the Homeless Memorial Day on December 21 every year for the last 26 years to remember those who were homeless and passed away. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Where Have All the Homeless Gone?

I am just amazed by the small number of people sleeping downtown these days.  Only a dozen years ago there were 40 people at the Welfare building. Public Square had at least a dozen people sleeping, and Superior Ave always had people at East 9th because of the heated sidewalks.    They are all gone.  No one sleeps at the Welfare building and there are rarely people on Public Square.   Where have all the homeless people gone in Cleveland?   On the Friday after Thanksgiving since 2000, we have gone downtown to count the number of homeless people sleeping outside.  In the past, we had 15 people to cover the downtown because there were so many people sleeping outside. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Change.org Petition to Keep Private the Addresses of Tenants

I don't understand how the petition to bring "Brian Griffin--the Dog" back to the Fox TV Show Family Guy has 96,000 people signing on to the Change.org, while important petitions about the right to privacy among tenants living in the suburbs of Cleveland has only 29 supporters.  A talking cartoon dog is funny, but asking the suburbs of Cleveland to follow the law should be a no brainer.  Besides, its a cartoon dog that can talk, the writers can bring Brian the Dog back anytime they want in a fantasy world.  We are petitioning a real issue that could have negative consequence for real people in the suburbs.  Just click here if you have not signed this petition yet http://chn.ge/1f8RF6A. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Food Can Kill Those who Sleep Outside

As many Americans sit down at Thanksgiving to break bread with family and friends, there are some who feel a sadness that everyone does not have the means for a feast in late November and so they want to volunteer to serve a meal to the "less fortunate."  There are thousands who reflect on the holiday and want to take a day to help the hungry.  Reservations to serve Thanksgiving meals are typically full in June of the year, and some of the big providers take reservations the previous year for this Thanksgiving.  Then there are those religious organizations who feel it is important to "minister" and serve those who stay outside.  This is a core belief for some to bring their understanding of God to people having a rough spot in their life with something warm to fill their stomachs.  

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Next Affordable Housing Meeting

One of the most fragile groups because of the Sequestration and the fact that regular federal budgets are not passed is the public housing authorities around the United States.  We worry about how the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority in Cleveland is surviving with the unstable funding from the federal government.  They have taken hit after hit and forced to rely on reserves that have dwindled over the last five years to house the thousands of people waiting for affordable housing locally.  They have done everything they can to avoid evictions as a result of budget cuts, but it is a huge juggling act.  This next Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting is Monday December 2, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. in the lower level of the US Bank Building (1350 Euclid Ave. ) and will feature both sides of the CMHA programs.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Flawed Homeless Count Released

The biggest waste of money by the Department of Housing and Urban Development has to be the annual count of homeless people.  We always equate this with counting a gumball machine full of Skittles as you pour them out onto the floor.  The first question for both is "why?"  Why would you want to count the colorful Skittles while they are falling on to the floor and are still in motion?  And why would you count homeless people on one day as they traveled around the city?   The second question is how valid is a count in which untrained volunteers drive around trying to play this game of "is that guy a homeless guy sleeping or a pile of clothing?"  NEOCH never wastes its time with this silly undertaking in late January or February.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Ohio Senate Votes to Reduce Early Voting

This week the Ohio Senate voted to eliminate the week in which citizens can register to vote and vote at the same time.  They also have reduce early voting time and bar the local boards of election from opening on Sundays.   We absolutely oppose this law and have posted this video and sent testimony down to the Ohio legislature committee (posted on our website as a pdf).  If we value democracy in America, then we should do everything we can to encourage voting and make it as easy as possible.
 
For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Posted the Stories from Issue 20.3

We got around to posting the articles from the Street Newspaper Issue #20.3 on the streets this last summer.  This issue had a number of really good stories in this issue.   We had a number of interns this summer who did a few stories for the newspaper.   There is an article by 10 of our vendors, and a profile of the Free Clinic.  We have a number of commentaries including the difference between Atlanta and Cleveland in services to homeless people.  There is a profile of the Sub Zero Mission and their effort to keep people living who stay on the streets.  

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Change.org Petition to Protect the Privacy of the Disabled

The Cleveland Plain Dealer featured an article about a brewing dispute between the suburbs and EDEN inc. over the rights for the suburban communities to know the addresses of all EDEN voucher holders.  We have started a Change.org petition to address this issue.  The First Suburbs Consortium demanded that EDEN turn over their list of addresses this summer before they would be willing to support public dollars going to the last Permanent Housing Project owned by EDEN.    Both Cuyahoga County and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have sided with EDEN saying that they do not have to turn over the names or addresses of their tenants.


For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Final on the Hand Up Gala Fundraiser

Eight people won items in the auction and donated them to homeless people.   Three of the items were for Akron institutions (Symphony, Civic Theatre, and Museum) and we sent those down to the Domestic Violence Shelter for distribution to their clients.  The other five items were distributed today at the Homeless Congress meeting.  The tickets and the football all went over well among the group.  We had a record turnout of over 50 people attend the meeting today.   All the items from the auction went out to the winners.   All the thank you notes went out to every one of the groups that contributed to the auction. Thanks to everyone who helped out to make this event special.
 
For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

City of Lorain Foolish Panhandling Campaign

ZERO TOLERANCE is the theme by local businesses in the City of Lorain over panhandling?  Yes, they are worried about people begging for money.  No, not zero tolerance for kids who become homeless, or food stamp cuts, or failing schools.   They do not have a zero tolerance for manufacturing jobs relocating to foreign countries or cuts to the mental health safety net, but that a guy living on the edge is asking for spare change.  Talk about misplaced priorities in Lorain--ganging up on guys with untreated behavioral health issues because they are viewed as the reason business is down in this depressed city. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Food Stamps Recipients Face Tough Times

All Bad News for the Food Stamps Program
Bad:  On November 1, there was a cut to benefits that had been put in effect at the start of the downturn.  This cost each household a small amount of their monthly allocation by about 5%.  This was tough to absorb and we know that Cosgrove and some of the other meal programs have seen a sharp increase in people requesting help with food.  The Plain Dealer had a nice guest column from Daniel Saltzman of Dave's Supermarket about this issue earlier this week, and an editorial condemning the cuts.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Woodchopper's Ball NEOCH Fundraiser

For 11 years, Brian Henke, has been organizing the Woodchopper's Ball.   It is a fundraiser for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, but more importantly it brings together some of the most amazing guitarists in North America.  This year the show will feature all national artists except for Brian.  Charley Brown has hosted all 11 shows in the past, and again will be the Master of Ceremony.   Tickets are available at the Kent Stage.   This year's Woodchopper's Ball is December 7, 2013 at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 on the day of the show.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Street Card Published and Available

After a long delay the updated Street Card is out and on the streets.  We have published the new Street Card and made it available on our website.  This was the most difficult update of the Street Card in the last 20 years.   We have been trying to figure out how to incorporate the new Coordinated intake with access to the shelters.  There were rumors that the Central Intake for families was moving and we did not want the Street Card to be published with incorrect information. There were major changes over the last year with the loss of a number of agencies that went out of business or were merged.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Homeless Veteran's Suicide

I feel awful about this encounter we had with a veteran last week. A 30 year old veteran sent a suicide note by e-mail last week to a group of agencies in Cleveland, and NEOCH was on the list.  I don't know why we were on the list, and the e-mail went to our spam folder.   Two of the individuals on the list called the police and even though the vet had meticulously put the GPS longitude and latitude of his body, the police had a hard time finding him.  I do not believe that I had met the young man, but he seemed like an intelligent but troubled person.   Why did he pick out NEOCH to send the suicide note and not the Veteran's Administration?   He had a city in New York listed as his e-mail address and the beginning of the document looked like religious tracts that we get everyday typically asking to claim lost funds, which made it more likely that the e-mail was sent to spam.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Veteran Success Story

We have one positive and one sad veteran story for Veteran's Day.  This is the story of many groups and individuals working together can move mountains.  The Veteran's Affair staff found a 67 year old female veteran living on the streets of Cleveland in a car near a church on the near West Side of Cleveland.  She refused to go into shelter because she could not give up her two dogs.  One dog could be considered a companion animal for fair housing consideration; two dogs are a stretch.  The veteran refused to take the animals to the APL out of fear that they would be destroyed.  This made it impossible to find even a temporary place to live.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

National Homeless Update

What is happening in other parts of the country to homeless people? The best part of the National Coalition for the Homeless meeting is when we go around the table and each talk about issues facing homeless people around the country.  Here are a few brief updates:
Massachusetts

• The Mass. legislature has introduced a bill to protect the rights of the transgendered in public services including homeless shelters.
• Boston is developing 32 units of housing for LGBTQ youth who have experienced homelessness.
• They are expanding the speakers bureau locally to teach homeless program board members about homelessness.
• There are disturbing trends in youth homeless with mental illnesses, and as most cities are seeing a rise in family homelessness.

For More on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

How Much Does a Panhandler Actually Make?

There are amazing over estimates of panhandlers in our community.  Many believe these guys are making hundreds of dollars and a living on easy street.  A new study was released which paints a different picture of the life of a panhandler. Research out of San Francisco surveyed 146 panhandlers and found that they averaged $25 per day.  This in one of the wealthiest cities in America with one of the more sizable homeless and panhandling populations in America.  The Union Square Business Improvement District commissioned the study and found that even if the average panhandler worked 7 days a week they would not be able to afford housing at the fair market rent in one of the most expensive rental cities in America. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Hurricane Sandy Anniversary

 New York City was giving up on Hurricane Sandy victims two weeks ago.  Repairs are still in process.  We heard on Hear and Now on NPR from those displaced who were at their wits end with the FEMA.   The paperwork problems and the debate about rebuilding on the coast are still on going issues.  There are still hundreds homeless from the October 2012 disaster.  Remember, it took months for the Congress to approve disaster assistance with a significant number voting against spending federal dollars on this recovery.  There are still many stuck waiting for government and insurance companies deciding if a homeowner can rebuild so close to the water. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Last Day to Donate to the Hand Up Gala

This is the last day that you can donate and still be involved in the auction.  We had over 200 people who enjoyed the meal.  The other aspect of this program is that it is a fundraiser for the Bishop Cosgrove Center and the Homeless Coalition.  All the proceeds raised are split between the two organizations.  The food and flowers and table cloths are all donated.  (Thanks to Executive Caterers for the china, table cloths and napkins--They were great.)  The proceeds from this extraordinary event go to preperation for the winter and the Transformational Art Center.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Medicaid Expansion Update

As expected the Governor was sued over his decision to expand Medicaid.  Will this be decided before January when people begin to see the benefits of the expansion.  The Plain Dealer has posted a story that the case is on the fast track, but it still provides uncertainty in the system.  All new expansions of government are rocky at first, but these obstacles seem impossible.  People get nervous over change, but it is amazing how so many rational people are trying to keep people from obtaining health care.

For More on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Olmsted Falls Students Hear from Street Voices

The Plain Dealer covered this story last week regarding the students who spent the night outside in order to raise money for the Labre Project.  One missing piece of the article was it was the NEOCH speaker, Simona, who spoke to the group.  She has written for the Street Newspaper the past two issues here and here. She wrote about her experiences as a homeless Mom in both Atlanta and Cleveland even comparing the two cities in the last issue of the Street Chronicle.  More than 50 young people participated in this event on October 19 in Olmsted Falls.   They raised funds for the Labre project at St. Ignatius.  Labre is a program to go out on Sundays and build relationships with homeless people.  They talk, visit and sometimes even pray with the people who live outside.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Senate Needs to Confrim Mel Watt This Week

Take Action Today!!!

The National Low Income Housing Coalition is asking volunteers to call Senator Portman and urge that he support the nomination of former US Representative of North Carolina Mel Watt for director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.  His nomination was voted out of the Banking Committee in July and he has waited for a vote by the full Senate. The current director of FHFA has been hostile to the National Housing Trust fund and advocates advocacy to reduce the impact of the foreclosure crisis.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Updates from Around Ohio on Homelessness

As part of the National Coalition for the Homeless Board meeting, we go around the table and give a presentation about housing, homelessness, and civil rights issues from the field.  I, as a board member, gather information from around Ohio to try to present to the NCH Board.  Pictured here is fellow board member, Donald Whitehead who now resides in Florida.  Donald is a great ally for people experiencing homelessness in Ohio as the former Director of NCH and former director of the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Flowers Make the Event

Six local florists donated to the Hand Up Gala, and they really transform the event.  We had some amazing collection of florists who contributed to this year's event.  Berghaus Flowers went above and beyond donating a large number of the centerpieces for this event.  They have helped us out for years on this event and we appreciate their assistance.  A new participant this year was Segelin's Florists over on Carnegie in the new Doubletree Hotel in University Circle.  They provided a number of wonderful arrangements with Asiatic lilies that a number of participants commented were striking.  We also must thank Monica's Flowers in Garfield Hts. for helping again this year as well as Lyndhurst Florist.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Elected Officials Helped to Serve Homeless People

It was nice to see two elected officials showed up to serve the homeless and hungry at the Hand Up Gala. County Councilman Dale Miller attended and helped to serve.  Also, Ohio House member Marlene Anielski rolled up her sleeves and put on the mandatory hair nets to serve the population.   The purpose of this event is to turn on its head the traditional silent auction conducted by most non-profits.  Instead of having our members dress up and go to a nice dinner to hear a speaker and eat rubbery chicken, we flipped the fundraiser around.  We have a nice meal for 200 of our constituents and served by the politicians who would have normally been speaking at a similar event. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

New Street Newspaper Available on the Streets

The brand new paper is out on the streets this week.  It features a few quality news stories in the paper including an article about what happens when your family cannot afford to bury you.  There is a new article about the attempt by homeless people to pass legislation to oversee the shelters.   Check it out now by purchasing a paper. We do not post the articles on our website until the vendors have a chance to make money from the sale of the paper.  There is always a vendor at the West Side Market with papers and usually you can find someone downtown.

For more on the post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Hand Up Gala is a Successful

The fourth annual Hand Up Gala was a tremendous event.  Only WKSU reported from the event unfortunately.  We will have a photo gallery up on our website over the weekend.  We have a special facebook page which has a few photos on it, and we will post a gallery on our regular facebook page.   Below are a few pictures from today's event.  We did serve over 200 people and the guests were very impressed with the food especially the dessert.  Chef Sharon Delk was wonderful in her quiet and reserved manner.   We will have more details over the next week. 

For more on this post and photos go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Hand Up Gala Dinner was 10/18

 Today is the big day for the Hand Up Gala and one of the most unique events in the homeless community.  The tables are set and the Cosgrove has just completed a nice renovation.  This will be the unveiling of the renovation.  It is beautiful over in one of the most important day centers in the community.  People can still donate to the event and participate in the auction up until October 30, 2013.  This event is both a fundraiser for the Bishop Cosgrove Center and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.  It is also a special occasion for homeless people to enjoy a once in a lifetime dinner with music and fine dining place settings.


For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Governor Goes to Contolling Board to Expand Medicaid

The Governor has decided to seek approval from the Controlling Board to expand Medicaid.  On its face this is very good news.  If Ohio does not expand Medicaid, hundreds of thousands will not be eligible for health insurance and the State will see billions of dollars of support from the federal government.   This is prudent in that for three years, 100% of the cost will be absorbed by the federal government.  Where is the risk here?   Why not take billions from the State of Ohio? It would seem that the politically savvy Governor would have lined up the votes or twisted arms to make sure that he gets his way, but it seems that he has left this all up to divine intervention to assure the votes according to a speech he gave today at the Cleveland Clinic.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Early Voting Has Begun

For homeless people the easiest way to vote is in person at the Board of Elections for early voting. NEOCH encourages homeless people to vote in person at the Board of Elections early.   To request an early voting ballot by mail click here.  It is much easier because just like voting by mail you do not have to show identification.  The hours for early voting are:

• 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday, October 7, 2013, through Friday, November 1, 2013;
• 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 2, 2013;
• 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, November 3, 2013;
• 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday, November 4, 2013.
 
For more information on this go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

More Impacts of Government Shutdown on the Local Housing Programs

Yesterday at the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance Meeting we learned a little more about the impact of the Federal Government shutdown on housing and homeless programs.   The FHA is still in business doing verification of home loans, unfortunately, the IRS is not in business to verify income.  This will grind the home sales market to a standstill eventually.   No one is working at HUD to sign off on projects currently under construction.  It makes it difficult to pay construction and tradesmen working on subsidized housing projects locally. Contrary to popular belief there are affordable housing projects being developed locally.   There are permanent supportive housing projects that are supposed to open this winter, but there is no one at HUD to sign off on the work. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Library Looking at Homeless Patrons

The largest drop in shelter in the community is the Public Library system.  Many homeless are dismissed from the shelters in the morning and then are not allowed to claim a bed until the late afternoon.  Those who do not work or are not following up on medical appointments hang out at the library.   They are reading the paper, using the computer to look for jobs or just utilizing the people's university by reading.  The shelters have for years operated on a strategy that homeless people need to be out during the day looking for jobs and housing.  Over the last few years, the county has pushed to reduce services in the shelters, and asking instead that the staff work on housing issues.   They want services to be delivered when the person gets into housing and not when they are in an emergency situation.

For more on this post click here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Strategic Plan Posted on the NEOCH Website

This summer the Board and staff of the Coalition put together a plan for the next four years.  They gathered surveys from homeless people, advocates and members of the Coalition to develop priorities.  It was decided not to change the mission of the Coalition, and we set out some values for the Coalition to guide our planning.  Finally and most importantly, we set down five strategic objectives.  All of these are published on our website here.  Internally, now staff will use these broad concepts to come up with specific goals for the agency.  We will figure out a way to accomplish these five strategic objectives.

For More on this Post Go Here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Impact of Government Shut Down on Homeless

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has done a good job of summarizing the impact of the shutdown on homeless and housing programs.   Locally, the HUD office is shut down and no staff will be attending the next CAHA meeting if the shutdown continues.  The next Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting is Monday October 7 in the lower level of the US Bank Building with Lou Tisler of Neighborhood Housing Services and Bill Whitney of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank.  Here are the comments from the National Low Income Housing Coalition:

On Monday September 30, Congress failed to provide FY14 funding for the federal government to operate, which caused the government to shut down beginning at midnight on October 1. The House refused to pass a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) and the Senate refused to pass a CR that made funding contingent on modifying the Affordable Care Act, leaving the two chambers at an impasse.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Unpublished letter to the editor resonse to hateful commentary

This letter that I penned was never published in the Plain Dealer, but the original letter should be corrected with facts and in my opinion should have never been published because it is hate speech.  There is a link to the original letter, but I would avoid reading it if you have high blood pressure.
Dear Plain Dealer Editor:

I was surprised to read the letter from Carmen Melillo Sr. in the Plain Dealer on September 6, because I was unaware that editorial policy had changed to allow grossly inaccurate and stereotypical information to be published without any clarification.  I have never understood why a paper allows anonymous hateful and incorrect comments on their electronic platform, but did not realize that the paper had decided to allow blatantly false claims in the letter’s section.

For more on this letter go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

60 Minutes Piece on Mentally Ill and Jails

There was an eye-opening piece on 60 Minutes on Sunday regarding the treatment of the mentally ill in America.   This is what Congress should be debating today instead of a four year old health care passed law. They focused on the Cook County jail labelling it the largest insane asylum in America.  I think that the Los Angeles jail could make a legitimate claim on that title, but I am not sure it is a fight that either city would want to engage in.  The reality is that mentally ill people run into problems with the law often because they have a hard time finding help.  The Justice Center downtown has a significant number of mentally ill people.   This was a good hard look at the failing mental health system, and the relationship with the mass shootings in Aurora, Navy Yard, Tucson, Newtown, and Virginia Tech.   We have seen this play out locally in East Cleveland and on Imperial Ave.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Voting Decision Posted on the NEOCH Website

Back at the beginning of August, Federal Judge Alegenon Marbley decided in our favor to extend the agreement between NEOCH and the State of Ohio until 2016.   This will standardize how provisional ballots are counted and will assist homeless people to vote in the upcoming Presidential election in person on Election Day.  We posted the entire decision here.  It is good reading because Judge Marbley has some wonderful language defending his decision. 

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

NEOCH Endorses Issue 1 Human Services Levy

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless Board of Trustees debated the merits of the replacement human services levy on the November ballot and decided to support Issue 1.  For those who do not know, the County has placed a replacement levy on the ballot for November 5 to support Health and Human Services locally.  This is the first time there will be a vote in an odd year when there are typically only local municipal issues on the ballot.  This became necessary because of huge cuts in the last two budgets from the State of Ohio to local governments and the hostility toward expanding Medicaid to serve our population. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Updated the list of School Liaisons on the NEOCH Website

 It is state and federal law that every school district assign one staff person to interact with children and young people struggling with their housing.  These homeless liaisons will help to keep a child from having their school disrupted if their family losing their housing during the school year.  They will find the best placement for the child either in their school of origin or in a new school if there are domestic violence issues.  These liaisons will make every effort to provide transportation and a safe return to school as soon as possible for the child. We have an updated list on our website here.

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

New Facebook Page on the Hand Up Gala

As we prepare for the upcoming fund raiser, the Hand Up Gala, we have created a Facebook page just for the event.  Thanks to our friend Kim, we have a page dedicated to this unique event.  We are sending out the invitations this week to previous supporters of the event.  We will send out another mailing next week to some of our friends in the community.  In case you have not seen, the Hand Up Gala is a fine dining meal we serve to homeless and hungry in Cleveland as an alternative to the silent auction dinners we had in the past.  We had some nice events for our members in the past at Massimos, and a couple of homeless people would get to enjoy the evening.  We decided for all the staff and volunteer time, we should design an event in which our most important constituents (the people we serve) can have a special time.  Three years ago, we partnered with the Cosgrove Center to host a day for homeless people to enjoy music, table cloths, floral arrangements and a wonderful meal.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Next CAHA Meeting focuses on Foreclosures and the Land Bank

The next meeting of the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance is October 7 at 1:30 and will feature Bill Whitney of the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Lou Tisler of Neighborhood Housing Services.  Bill will give his regular update on the clean up of the foreclosure crisis in Cleveland.  The land bank is taking down shells of housing so that the land can be re-developed into parks, farm, or housing.  They are also working with a few community groups on creative solutions to the protect Cleveland neighborhoods going forward.  Recently, they were granted permission to use some of the foreclosure assistance money to take down more abandoned properties when the Treasury Department decided to allow the hardest hit fund to go to demolish housing.  This had been used to save people's homes and now it will be to wipe away abandoned housing.   Someday at CAHA after the foreclosure crisis is over we will have to discuss if the American dream of homeownership is now dead for millions of lower income families now that the housing bubble has burst and we taken down thousands of units of housing.  

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

The Future of the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance Meetings

The last CAHA meeting was about the future of HUD in Ohio.  In a cost saving move HUD will be closing nearly all of the HUD multifamily field offices in the United States. These are the offices that oversee private landlords who serve low income families (Lupica, Rainbow Terrace, Emeritus House).  Every resident in the building gets a subsidy from the federal government.  HUD monitors the quality of these buildings, assures compliance with federal rules and is the government watchdog to make sure that the buildings maintain occupancy rates.  The Cincinnati office has already closed with Columbus and Cleveland closing their multifamily offices in 2014.   They are moving staff to DETROIT?? and Chicago.  Does anyone find it ironic that HUD multifamily staff will be located in a bankrupt city with a similar number of abandoned properties as the area around Chernobyl in the Ukraine?

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

South Carolina Reverses Criminalization of Homeless

We posted two blog entries about the absurd Columbia South Carolina law that would require homeless people to seek shelter or go to jail.  With all the national attention and pressure put on the City from national groups like the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center, the petitions on Change.org and the national media stories was too much for the City Council.  They backed away from the law and will go in a different direction.  It is amazing to me that they did not have the backing of their own police, and that not one council member saw the potential problems associated with this legislation to vote against it. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Strange Article in the Plain Dealer About Housing

There was a strange and long article in the Plain Dealer last week from Stephen Koff regarding "social engineering"  at the Department of Housing and Urban Development that you might have missed.  The article suggests that enforcing a Civil Rights era law could be "social engineering."  Then a letter was published on Friday that shows the fear and mythology that has developed around the Housing Choice voucher program and Public Housing in our community.  First, the letter was highly offensive and incorrect, and should not have been printed in the paper.  Ms. Melillo has no proof that "incoming section 8 people bring their bad habits and culture with them--violence, drugs, prostitution, deterioration and loud music..."

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Even Police Oppose South Carolina Forced Shelter Law

We wrote about this "crazy South Carolina law"  in the last two week, but it turns out that not even the police agree with the scope of this law.  Huffington Post printed an article on August 28, detailing Columbia Interim Police Chief Ruben Santiago's opposition to the new law.  The National Law Center has been raising concerns about this issue and staff appeared on MSNBC last week.  The Huffington Post quoted the acting police chief saying, " We can't just take people to somewhere they don't want to go.  I can't do that. I won't do that." 

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Marcia Leaving the Board

Our former Board and staff member, Marcia Bufford has left the city.  She was currently serving as Board Treasurer after retiring from three years as Board President.  She started out in 1997 as a volunteer with the Homeless Stand Down recruiting and training other volunteers. She then took a turn as an Americorps*VISTA with CTO and with NEOCH.  She did tenant and community organizing for the two organizations.  She leaves today for greener pastures in another state.  She could not find a job here after working with homeless people and children for over a decade.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Hand Up Gala Date Announced

One of the most unique events in the community is a collaboration between Catholic Charities and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless called the Hand Up Gala.  The 2013 event is set for October 18, 2013 at the Bishop Cosgrove Center on Superior.  Most of the non-profit agencies in Cleveland have a once a year dinner and silent auction.  This event turns that concept on its head.  The main beneficiaries are homeless and hungry people in Cleveland Ohio.  We have a chef prepare a four star meal and we provide all the atmosphere of a high end restaurant.  

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Promissory Note Still Comes Up Short for Housing

50 years ago, African American leaders gathered in DC to seek justice and equality.  Most remember Martin Luther King Jr. delivering  the single best oratory speech since the Gettysburg Address, but John Lewis, A. Phillip Randolph and Roy Wilkins also gave powerful speeches.  Just focusing on the world of housing which was a critical plank in the push for jobs and freedom in 1963 there have been strides, but the United States has a long way to go to repay the debt.  We have seen poverty and homelessness disproportionately impact African Americans for 150 years.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Satire: Do We Need Early Voting At All?

Thank you, Ohio legislators for protecting us from having to get up from our Playstations on the weekend to go vote!  We are so glad that you are saving us from President Obama who spent time and resources in Ohio to open up weekend voting so that we will have less time to spend with our families on that weekend before the election in 2014.   We "support" State Representative John Becker's effort to cut down on early voting because 35 days is just too tempting to try to vote multiple times with so many days available. Ohioans may vote the first week in October and then forget and try to vote again on Election Day.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Columbia South Carolina Passes Crazy Law

Columbia South Carolina passed a shocking ordinance to limit the number of homeless people within their borders by a unanimous vote of the City Council.  It is easy to laugh this off as another crazy law from backward legislators, but this law is especially disturbing.  Urban homelessness disproportionately impacts African Americans in the United States.  In Cuyahoga County 80% of the homeless population are black while according to the US Census the overall county statistics show that only 30% of the total population are African American.  The Columbia South Carolina Mayor is black and four out of the seven City Council members are black yet they all voted to make it illegal to be homeless in the city.

For more on this post and the coolest photo go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

CAHA Meeting for 9/9/13 Looks at Land Trusts

The next Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting is moved to September 9, 2013 because of Labor Day. This meeting we will look at the changes that are taking place with HUD locally and how this will impact Cleveland tenants living in HUD backed apartments, current landlords and even the CAHA meetings in the future.  We will also get a good overview of the Land Trust program (not the Land Bank program). 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

City of Miami Working to Overturn Deal with Homeless People

Before Cleveland homeless individuals settled with the City in 2000, Miami lawyers struck an agreement to step back from the effort to make it illegal to be homeless.  Word came out that the current city government is working on ways to get out from under this 1998 settlement.  The National Coalition for the Homeless wrote a letter condemning these attempts to scrap the Pottinger settlement.   

The National Coalition for the Homeless is very concerned that the City of Miami is working to cancel its agreement with those experiencing homelessness in the Pottinger settlement of 1998.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Cato Institue Publishes Flawed Report

The Cato Institute updated a report from 1995 and published what can only be characterized as the dumbest research projects ever published.  The report titled "The Work vs. Welfare Trade Off: 2013" might be the most absurd collection of disjointed statistics that has ever been put down on paper.  This report has no redeeming value in any policy debate that I could think of except maybe in showing that the minimum wage is too low in many states.  Cato "researchers" have lumped together entitlements such as food stamps with housing assistance limited by a significant lack of supply to Medicare limited to a small number of people to make the case that "welfare" may pay better than work pays.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Veterans Homelessness in the Community

There are many in the community who do not like homeless people.  Much of this has to do with myths and misconceptions about those struggling with housing.  There are two populations which get near universal support: kids and vets.  Homeless children are innocent and did not ask to be without housing.  They are often the victim of their parents bad decisions or problems revolving around the inability for the parent to find a job or maintain housing.  Veterans are viewed by most as the "deserving poor" because they served their country, and often have problems associated with the trauma or personal demons from combat.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Panhandling Ruled Constitutional by Appeals Court

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Ohio and Michigan) upheld a lower court decision that found the Grand Rapids Police gave a ticket to two homeless people for asking for money.  The court ruled the statute that made it a crime to beg for money illegal.  The court found that this was an infringement on the free speech protections of the First Amendment.  The court found that the Supreme Court has never specifically ruled that an individual asking for money is engaged in expression, they did find that organizations were protected for soliciting charitable funds.  The court found that Michigan had the right to regulate soliciting funds.  It could not prohibit begging for money by criminal law.

The Detroit News has a nice summary of the ruling here.  The two individuals, James Speet and Ernest Sims, sued in federal court to dismiss the ticket.  Speet was holding a sign that said, "Cold and Hungry, God Bless." He pled guilty when the police issued his ticket, and was unable to pay the $198 fine.  

For More on this Post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Advocates Support ABA Homeless Resolution

This will not likely make much national news, but it should be mentioned.  On August 12, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates passed a resolution calling on the U.S. government at all levels to promote and implement the human right to housing.
 
In the resolution, the ABA "urges governments to promote the human right to adequate housing for all through increased funding, development and implementation of affordable housing strategies and to prevent infringement of that right."
 
For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Housing 101 Workshop for September

The Housing101 workshop is an opportunity to learn more about housing and sign up to use the HousingCleveland.org website.  It is directed at staff working with very low income and homeless people including social workers, case worker, and advocates.  One goal is to get more case workers signed up to use the Special Needs functions of Housing Cleveland.org.  The other goal is to teach case workers about how to access fair housing, central intake and permanent supportive housing.  Finally, the goal is to teach participants about the basic landlord tenant law. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Cuts to the Shelter Dollars Announced

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the allocation for new projects in the United States.  Cleveland/Cuyahoga County asked for $25.59 million, but received only $24.28 million.   Local officials are happy and "grateful" that they only received a 5% cut.  There was a new Permanent Supportive Housing Project and more Shelter Plus Care vouchers.   The million dollars lost would have helped disabled homeless people pay rent to exit the shelters.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Rights of LGBT Community and Homelessness

The last Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting this week featured Kris Keniray of the Housing Research and Advocacy Center gave a presentation on a change in the fair housing law being implemented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  In 2012, HUD published the rule which regulates all programs funded by federal housing dollars provides for equal access to housing regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity (contained in the Federal Register Feb. 3, 2012 Vol. 77 No. 23).  The new rules went into effect on March 5, 2012, and governs Public Housing, the Voucher program, Block Grant funding, HOME dollars, FHA mortgages, and even Emergency Shelter grants.


For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

We Won Our Extension of our Voter ID Agreement

Federal District Court Judge Algenon Marbley released his decision this morning to extend our agreement with the State of Ohio through the next Presidential Election at the end of 2016.   We had asked for an agreement through 2024 (so three presidential elections) and we got one.   This only means we need to work for a clarification of the law in the next four years or seek additional time on the agreement if there is still a need based on the issues that come up in 2014 or 2016.  It is likely that the State of Ohio attorneys who advocated on behalf of Secretary of State Jon Husted that the agreement should end will appeal this decision.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Affordable Housing Stories in the News

There are a bunch of stories in the media over the last few weeks about affordable housing. The first and most important was the Plain Dealer support for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program that the Cleveland Housing Network called our attention to in their newsletter.  In an article by one of the reporters separated from the Plain Dealer wrote about the concern by advocates over the loss of the Tax Credit program.  The tax credit program is not the best way to develop affordable housing because the housing is not really affordable to the lowest income people in our community, but it is still an important program.  Typically, the rents are reduced but they are not reduced to the point of the housing voucher program or Public Housing.  

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Congress Holds Hearing on Poverty without Anyone Living in Poverty

Congressman and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan hosted a hearing on poverty in America and failed to include anyone currently living in poverty.  NEOCH is in business to provide a voice to those often forgotten by society, and we could have provided any number of individuals to help illustrate the point.  We could have sent a number of our Street Voices speakers such as Don to talk about long term health issues that keep him living in poverty.   The long waits for the state to determine if a person is in fact disabled and deserves government support to keep them in poverty for the rest of their lives is another reason for poverty in America. 

For more information on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

New Homeless Chronicle is on the Streets

The new issue of the Street Chronicle is now on the streets.  All the vendors have picked up their paper and are on the streets selling the paper.  A number of interns provided much of the content, which is exceptional for this paper.  We have a story about the new Veterans Center on Euclid Ave. and one about the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland. Many of the vendors added stories to this issue including one from Diana who was going blind while living in the shelters.  Delores reflected on her friend Linda, and Buzzy wrote about his new apartment.   An especially revealing article was from Jennifer who talked about the relationship between domestic violence and the child custody issues locally.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

New Staff at Critical Social Service Agencies

Diane Gatto was appointed as the Director of First Call for Help/211 in Cleveland.  This is a United Way critical program for the community that is often forgotten because it works so effectively.   They offer essential referral help to those looking for food, shelter, health care, job training or legal assistance. They regularly update treatment services available and they can provide for all the hotlines numbers (domestic violence, rape crisis, suicide prevention, and veteran's services) anytime.   211 operates 24 hours and they have a fantastic website that is regularly updated.  All the information that they provide is verified on a regular basis.  Diane has been with the organization for years and knows everything about running a telephone referral system.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Update on Legal Assistance for Poor People

If you want to see one of the  biggest casualties of the 2008 financial downturn visit the lobby of the Legal Aid Society on Tuesday mornings.  You will see long lines, many turned away, and the harm inflicted on legal assistance programs for the poor in the United States with the cut in the interest paid in trust accounts and a decrease in public assistance.  Just when millions were in need of a lawyer to help them weed through the foreclosure crisis and battling the big banks and mortgage companies, the legal aid societies across America reduced staff.  In Cleveland, they had to layoff 8 staff last year and had to limit their services.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Sewer District to Present at CAHA

We have all seen the fee added to our Sewer District bills to improve the storm sewer overflow system in Northeast Ohio, but how will these new fees impact the preservation and development of affordable housing in Cleveland?   At the August 5, 2013, Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting we will have staff from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District present to talk about the fees and what commercial entities can do to reduce costs.  Businesses are being assessed for every square foot of concrete and the water that comes off buildings going into the sewer. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Josh Memorial Featured Thunderstorm

There are no words to express my inability to understand what happened with Josh.  I found this nice picture of Josh in our archive from 2006 or 2007 from a happier time.  I was able to attend a respectful memorial last week in Cleveland for Josh, and everyone who spoke talked about his dedication and commitment to social justice.  It was a hot and steamy evening in Cleveland on Friday July 19, 2013, and at the close of the ceremony the sky opened up for a short thunderstorm. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Grapevine Vendor, Linda, Passes Away

We lost Linda, a Grapevine vendor this last week.  Her service was July 18, 2013 at Carey's Funeral Home on Lorain Ave.   You may remember her at the West Side Market selling the papers.  She also wrote for the paper.  She was an environmentalist who loved cats.  She had a great deal of trouble keeping stable housing throughout her life, and she was overtaken by cancer this last year.  Linda had a rough life and struggled with behavioral health issues.  I remember that she met a lot of politicians at the West Side Market when she was selling the paper, and she always offered her opinions on the state of the nation.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

How Do We Respond To the Extreme Heat and Homelessness?

This has been a rough week in Cleveland for those who are homeless and do not want to go into shelter.  Five days of heat advisories have been tough on the population.  On Monday evening, a man died outside of the main shelter, and we are waiting for the Medical Examiner to make a decision on the cause of death of this 70 year old homeless individual.  The men’s shelter has opened earlier in the day all this week, and is trying to keep the lines down and has offered water to everyone around the facility.  The Volunteers of America outreach are handing out gallons of water this week as they conduct their outreach on the streets.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Social Security Makes it Harder for Homeless People

Cleveland is one of the few communities in the United States to have a collaborative ID program for homeless people.  This was organized way back in 2005 by one of our VISTAs, Joseph, at NEOCH with most of the homeless programs in Cleveland participating.  The program is led by staff at West Side Catholic and St. Colman's Catholic Church.  Last week, we were notified that the Social Security Administration had tightened their rules and will not give a printout indicating the individual has a social security number without proof of citizenship and identity. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Do We Believe that the Ohio Secretary of State Will Help More People to Vote?

There was nice coverage of the hearing yesterday in federal court by Associated Press Reporter Ann Sanner in the Akron Beacon Journal and the Columbus Dispatch and the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Why, in the home city of the lead plaintiff, NEOCH, was there no coverage?  I do not know.   But anyway, it was an interesting court hearing down in Columbus.  Our lawyers were in Federal Court asking for an extension of the agreement we finalized with the State of Ohio in 2010.  We have signed an agreement with the State over voters use of Identification before every election since the law was passed in the lame duck session of 2005.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Medicaid Expansion Rally in Columbus

 Late Tuesday morning we boarded the van at NOBLE/Organize!Ohio offices and headed to Columbus for the Medicaid Expansion rally.  Knowing in advance that the politicians of the House and Senate were on their respective breaks, I did not think this was going to be much of a trip.  The rally was being held indoors in the atrium of the Capitol, which in hindsight should have sounded off bells and whistles.  After taking the elevator to the first floor, we approached the entrance to the atrium and immediately ran into a wall of humanity.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Voting and New Statistics Added to the Website

We have added the press release on our site regarding the temporary victory over the state to extend our voting agreement.  We have a hearing in Federal Court this Friday at 2 p.m. in Columbus.  We hope to extend the consent decree from the 2008 election beyond this year.   There are new circumstances and the law has not changed.  We all thought that the state would reform their voting law by now.  We thought with the long lines and all the lawsuits the state would have forced a compromise on a new law.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Family Pets and Homelessness

We received a call in the office today from a woman who was in need of rental assistance to prevent an eviction.  This is not unusual since we get about four of eviction calls per day.  This is by far the single greatest need in the community, but what made this especially difficult is that she had a pet.  She was looking for a shelter that accepted pets.  There are none.  All shelters will, of course, accept service animals, but none will accept a pet.  There are allergies, health regulations, and liability issues that make it impossible for the shelters to allow animals.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Family Overflow Shelter Constructed This Summer in Cleveland

Over the past few months, NEOCH, Frontline Services, formerly MHS Inc., and Cuyahoga County have been working to address the rising problem of family homelessness. Each May, Cuyahoga County sees a rise in families in need of housing—a rise that continues to increase throughout the summer and lasts into early fall. Many reasons can cause this rise in homelessness, ranging from relocation in warmer weather, an end to the school year for kids, or personal reasons unique to each family. For more information on the causes of family homelessness, see our past blog post here. 

For more on this post go here....
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Advocates Push for Medicaid Expansion in Ohio

Despite advocates, health care professionals, business leaders, and social service providers agreeing that Ohio needs an expansion of Medicaid, the Ohio legislature failed to include the expansion in the 2013-2015 budget.  This will mean that at this point 275,000 additional Ohioans will not be able to take advantage of Obamacare in 2014.  On Tuesday July 9th at 1 p.m. advocates will gather at the State Capital Atrium in Columbus to urge the Governor to push Medicaid expansion through the legislature.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Joshua Kanary Event Planned for July 19

The family and friends of Josh Kanary will gather on Friday July 19, 2013 at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Community Church 4427 Franklin Blvd. (near St. Herman’s) on the Near West Side of Cleveland.  Rev. Jim Link will officiate and his friends Emily and Sarah (pictured next to Josh here)  will organize the program to remember Josh.   There was a memorial in May in Toledo and many of his friends in Cleveland were not able to attend the services.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Councilman Brancatelli will Speak to CAHA on Monday

Councilman Tony Brancatelli, the Chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee, will attend the next Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance meeting to present to the group.  CAHA is at the lower level of the HUD offices at 1350 Euclid Ave. in the US Bank building on July 8 at 1:30 p.m.   He will talk about the City of Cleveland's efforts to clean up after the foreclosure crisis.  He will talk about the City Budget for community development in light of federal austerity and budget cuts from Sequestration.  Finally, he is expected to answer questions regarding the development of affordable housing in Cleveland.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Atlanta Race and Politics and Nonprofits

The June 16, 2013 edition of the Atlanta Progressive News has an interesting article about Race, Poverty and Non-Profits in Atlanta.  I am no fan of Atlanta, but Matthew Cardinale has a "devastating critique" of the city and the leading non-profits.  He makes the point that Atlanta Georgia is the "birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement" with the King Center a wealth of history in the new Capital of the South, but is also the city that has led a war on poor people.   He lists an amazing resuscitation of crimes against the poor by the City of Atlanta including prioritizing both the public hospital and the schools, destroying public housing, and making it illegal to be visibly homeless. 

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

County Council Awards Funds for Veterans

I don't know how we missed this, but the County redirected Veteran's Service Commission money to other veterans programs in Cuyahoga County.  Who knew that the Veteran's Commission money (as much as $1 million per year) was being returned to Cuyahoga County general revenue fund every year.  The new government decided that these funds should go to veterans as they were intended.  In June, the Council approved $733,000 to various government and charities that serve veterans locally.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

A Sad Day in America

Homeless people in Ohio care about voting rights and the Voting Rights Act.  In Cleveland, around 78% of the homeless population are African American, and there are similar numbers in most of the large American cities.  The VRA is important because homeless people do vote, and NEOCH has always made voting a priority issue.   We have been engaged in a lawsuit with the State of Ohio over identification issues since 2006, and we are working to extend that lawsuit for the next few years to protect access to voting in person on Election Day for those without identification in the statewide election of 2014 and the national 2016 Presidential Election. 

 For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

NEOCH Releases Voting Report and Press Release

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless spent a great deal of time in 2012 assisting homeless people to vote. We worked on our identification lawsuit to assure that a homeless person who shows up to vote in person on Election Day without identification, they should have the opportunity to vote.  We also drove hundreds over to the Board of Elections early to vote.  State Rep Nickie Antonio and State Senator Nina Turner monitor Board of Elections on Saturday November 3, 2012 We registered thousands within the shelters between the shelter staff and NEOCH staff.  We also physically took over 200 people to vote and registered over 300.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

NCH Hires a New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless, of which I am a member, announced this week the appointment of Jerry Jones as its new Executive Director. Jones follows the successful work of Neil Donovan, who stepped down from this role in May.

Board President John Parvensky announced the new hire: "Homelessness in America is a national tragedy that has been tolerated for far too long. We can no longer stand quietly while budgets are cut and our political leaders try to manage the problem rather than solve it.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Check Out our Facebook Page

Kim, our volunteer who created the Facebook page, has been out sick for the past month, but we have kept the page updated in her absence (Search Clevelandhomeless).  We have some nice photo albums including five photos from Cynthia Miller one of the original Grapevine photography projects.   There are also photos of our vendors in their uniforms and photos from the pancake breakfast.  We also post events that about homelessness and housing in Ohio on the Facebook page.

For more information on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Dan Kerr Does Community Organizing in DC Now

Dan Kerr, a founder of Food Not Bombs in Cleveland and writer of Derelict Paradise is now teaching at American University in Washington DC and working on a history project of the Center for Creative Non-Violence Shelter.  Here are where the actual oral histories are kept about homelessness in DC.  Professor Kerr cut his teeth in Cleveland where he would interview people after the meal downtown about homelessness.

For More on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Toledo Providers Object to Central Intake

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is pushing an untested strategy of centralizing the intake on homeless people.  They are urging cities to undertake this system where everyone goes to the same place to be screened for the best path off the streets. Cleveland moved to a Central Intake model in 2008 for men, and in 2012 for families.  The shelters that receive public money must participate in the Central Intake.  The benefits are that shelters cannot screen people out who are hard to serve as they had done in the past.  The problem in Cleveland is that the Central Intake are in shelters which draws more people to shelter.   


For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

HUD to Close on Friday Because of Sequestration

On Friday June 14, you will not be able to call the Department of Housing and Urban Development to get a copy of a housing list because of Sequestration.  You will not be able to talk to a human being if you want to find out the procedure for filing a fair housing complaint.  You will not be able to figure out who to talk to find out if a landlord receives federal dollars to house low income or homeless people because the HUD offices will be closed.  This furlough day is to satisfy Congressional demands to reduce the federal budget.

For more information on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Anna Louise Inn Sold in Cincy

I was reading the Streetvibes (Cincinnati's Street newspaper) from Cincinnati and they detailed the sale of the Anna Louise Inn to developers.   We covered this last year with a call for boycotting Western and Southern over their bullying of this shelter and permanent supportive housing.   The folks at Streetvibes and the staff of the Cincinnati Coalition are not too happy about the deal.  The shelter operator decided that the long drawn out court case was not worth it anymore.  Developers had paid enough so that the shelter could relocate to a new facility and serve the same number of women.

For More on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

County Responds to Family Homelessness

Each summer as school ends and warmer weather (usually) begins, more and more families find themselves without shelter and a place to sleep. Family homelessness itself can be caused by many reasons: poverty, unemployment, difficulty accessible affordable housing, addiction, domestic violence, etc. But around every April, Cuyahoga County slowly sees a rise in the number of families in need of shelter. Why the rise now?

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Emergency Shelter Grant Takes Major Hit in Cleveland

The City of Cleveland received some unexpected news about a large decrease in funds for the Emergency Solutions Grant which supports the emergency shelters and the housing rental assistance programs in Cleveland.  City and County staff have not developed a plan yet for how these reduced funds will be distributed locally.  It was reported by HUD that Cleveland would receive a 22% decrease in funds while Akron received a 25% decrease.

For more on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Religious Support to Reduce Family Homelessness

On May 28^th, a group of representatives from Mental Health Services, Inc., Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, local churches and community activists met to address the rising problem of family homelessness in Cleveland.   Family homelessness is a distinctly different problem in that it dramatically increases during the summer months when school ends and kids are not in school and may make it difficult for grandmothers or friends to maintain their house.

For more information on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

New Street Chronicle Available in Cleveland

The new issue of the Street Chronicle is available and on the streets of Cleveland.  Make sure you pick one up from your favorite local vendor.  They are available on the streets of Cleveland and always at the West Side Market.  There are some fantastic photos from the rally down in Columbus asking for Medicaid expansion, the pancake breakfast, and the new vendor uniforms.   There are stories from each of the vendors of the paper.  There are news stories about the Homeless Congress and the new Cleveland Foodbank program.  We have a couple of poems including one by our departed friend Daniel Thompson. 

For More information on this post go here...
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.