Quick Notes

Photo by Pleasure Simmons

A Couple of Comments:

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless publishes an e-newsletter with updates, save the dates, things you can do to help, statistics, and resources.  If you are paid member of the Coalition, you can receive the e-newsletter called the E-Bridge every 15 days. Contact NEOCH if you are not receiving your newsletter or you would like to get on the list. Here are a few of the updates that may be helpful:

**The CMHA Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for the next five to six years was released yesterday.  You can get the information from the same website that you applied or your client applied.  You will need to have the number that was generated when the individual applied to see if that number was selected.  Only 1 in 6 people had their number drawn (64,000 people applied).  Here is the link: http://www.applycuyahogacounty.tenmast.com/ and click on lottery results. 

**The new rules for the Emergency Solutions Grant were released yesterday.  The federal government gave Cleveland approximately $13 million as part of the American Stimulus funding to prevent homelessness and to get people back into housing quickly.  These stimulus funds run out next year, and the Emergency Solutions Grant is intended to replace these funds in the community.  As with all things government, they are a sad replacement with only $590,000 going to Cleveland to replace the $4.5 million we spent previously on prevention and rapid rehousing activities.  Here is the link to view the new rules.  We do not know how these funds will be used locally, but NEOCH is pushing for a small amount to go to maintain HousingCleveland.org.

**We have to thank both Congressman Kucinich and Congresswoman Fudge for being two of only 46 members of Congress that signed onto the letter asking HUD for additional funding for homelessness.  It looks as though both the Senate and House are going to provide level funding for the third year in a row for homeless assistance.  This is amazing since we have seen huge cuts to the housing programs, the emergency assistance funding cuts, and other mainstream programs will face the budget hatchet.  While there are huge federal cuts demand is increasing with all the shelters bursting at their seams and the 2009 stimulus dollars will run out to prevent homelessness in 2012.  Nearly every American city needs a huge boost in homeless dollars to keep up with demand, but we are getting the same as we received in 2008.  It is going to be a rough summer next year when many unemployed families are displaced and will not be able to afford rent.  The letter that they signed onto can be found here. Please call their local offices to thank them for looking out for homeless people.  (Fudge is 216-522-4900 and Kucinich is 216-228-8850.)

Brian
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.

Calling Advocates in Cleveland Heights

Photo image by Pleasure Simmons from the Grapevine photo project of 2007

Advocacy Alert: Cleveland Hts. Spend Your Stimulus Money to Prevent Homelessness!!!

Overview of the Problem: In 2009, Cleveland Hts. received $715,000 to help prevent homelessness as part of the federal stimulus program. The city pooled their resources with Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland--$13 million dollars to serve any low income in the county facing eviction. Last year, there were approximately 500 people who faced eviction at the Cleveland Hts. Municipal Court. By January 2011 (16 months after receiving the funding), Cleveland Hts. has only used 12.2% of their available funding or $87,000. The Federal government says that the City must have 60% of their dollars expended by July 2011 or it is redistributed to other communities, and all money must be spent by July 2012. In July and October 2010, NEOCH contacted the Cleveland Hts. agency overseeing these funds requesting the hiring of an attorney to be stationed at the court to help with evictions and to refer those facing eviction to the Cleveland non-profit distributing the funds in order to spend down the Cleveland Hts funding. No one from Cleveland Hts. ever even acknowledged our letter.

Lakewood received over $900,000 from the federal stimulus. They kept their money within the City and partnered with Lakewood Christian Services to spend the funds. In January 2011, Lakewood had allocated 67% of their funds to help prevent evictions.

Why is Cleveland Hts. not spending their money? Why are they not responding to partner agencies in the community that offer to help?

What can you do? Ask your elected official?

Mayor Ed Kelley
216/291-4756
mayorkelley@clvhts.com

Vice President Phyllis Evans
216/321-5378
Hon_phyllis_evans@clvhts.com

Nancy McLaughton
CDBG Program Administrator
216/291-4845
nmclaughlin@clvhts.com

Or attend the Cleveland Hts. City Council meeting on the First and Third Monday of the Month.

They take questions and comments from the public at the beginning of the meetings. Check out the schedule here. The Next meetings for the Committee of the Whole are:
April 11 at 5:45 p.m.
Wednesday April 20 at 5:45 p.m.
April 25 at 5:45 p.m.

If you get any reply, please let us know since no one is talking to us. Thanks to the Sun Press for publishing our letter two weeks ago, and thanks to Channel 5 WEWS taking up the issue.

UPDATE 4/7/2011: Last night, Channel 5 WEWS did a nice report on the Cleveland Hts. issue, and the reporter was able to interview a resident of Cleveland Hts. who could not get enough assistance to stay in the city. The end of the story was interesting in that it seems that the City is content to give the money over to the County to use. As a resident of Cleveland Hts., I object. The City took the money from the federal government, but has done very little to make sure that people facing eviction will be able to stay in place. Why accept the money and then give it to some other community for help when there are residents of Cleveland Hts who are facing homelessness? It does not make any sense.--Brian Davis

Brian
Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.