Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless

3631 Perkins Ave. #3A-3

Cleveland, Ohio 44114          216/432-0540              FAX  216/432-0620 

Press Release

For more information call:  Brian Davis at 216/432-0540

Progress in Dispute Between Homeless Coalition and Women’s Community Shelter

 The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless has cancelled the planned protest of the overflow women's shelter known as the Community Women's Shelter.  Over the last month, NEOCH staff and staff of Mental Health Services, administrators of the Community Women's Shelter, have met to resolve issues over the operation of this critically important facility in our community.  Staff of U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich have convened these meetings in an attempt to resolve the impasse. 

Staff have put in a place a series of on-going discussions on a regular schedule and have a timeline in place to resolve in the short term all of the areas of disagreement.  The staff of the two agencies have constructed a process for addressing individual grievances, and eliminated the punishments that were a focus of some of the NEOCH complaints.  All the areas of disagreement have been laid out for resolution, and the shelter is investigating areas of compromise. 

The Executive Committee of the NEOCH Board of Trustees have met and are pleased by the progress made to date.  The NEOCH Executive Committee have agreed to cancel any planned protest.  The NEOCH Board wants to remain informed of the progress and wants resolution of all the issues in the next three months.  The NEOCH Board will continue to listen to the opinions of homeless women who utilize the shelters, and want to ensure that the NEOCH staff and Community Women's Shelter staff continue to meet.  The NEOCH Board is clear that as long as progress continues they will take no further public demonstrations of protest, but they do want to meet in January again with Mental Health Services Board in order to  rebuild a working relationship.

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