2003 Accomplishments

& Goals for 2004*

2003 was an active and challenging year.  Some of the highlights include:

• Pressuring family shelters to accept children of any age.  This stopped families from being split or prevented from entering.

• Reviving the Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program in February.  CHLAP has provided legal help to 126 homeless individuals.

• Expanding the Cleveland Community Voice Mail program to include Lorain County.  Currently, 10 Lorain County agencies are able to provide voicemail boxes100 homeless individuals.  Voice mail allows them to get messages from employers and landlords.

• The Bridging the Gap program was started to serve single men and women.  BTG has expanded its program to include service to families.

• Developing Street Voices, NEOCH's speakers bureau program along with the Face to Face booklet, a collection of portraits of homeless people by David Hagan.  NEOCH has made 40 presentations around Cuyahoga County to educate the public about poverty.

• Worked with National groups to introduce the "Bring America Home" Act (HR 2897) to end homelessness in America.

• Pressured county leaders to improve conditions and to eliminate discharges to the street at local emergency shelters.

• Distributed 10,000 "Street Cards" to those living on the street, directing them to services throughout the County.

Goals for 2004

With your continued support, we can achieve them all!

1. NEOCH will work with the City, the County, and local businesses to develop a plan to address the homelessness crisis.

2. NEOCH will work with state advocacy organizations to expand the dollars going to affordable housing in the State Housing Trust Fund.

3. NEOCH will develop a plan to assure better access to health care for homeless people and will provide continuity of ongoing care.

4. NEOCH will work with labor, religious, and other nonprofit organizations to realize the hope of low-income workers in the City to see the creation of a large scale nonprofit hiring hall that could compete with the existing day labor companies.

5. NEOCH will develop emergency housing opportunities or boarding houses for people with income that have a hard time locating housing.

In addition, other programs  sponsored by NEOCH have set program goals:

• BTG will place 200 homeless people in affordable housing in 2004.

• CCVM will expand its program to include a minimum of one more surrounding county.

• CHLAP will increase the number of sites and days to assist the homeless community.

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