“The Trump administration is once again attacking LGBTQ people, this time by attempting to undermine the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s protections for transgender people seeking safe shelter. Their latest proposal out of the Department of Housing and Urban Development attempts to gut protections for transgender people by removing critical equal access protections to regulations meant to ensure the safety of anyone in need of HUD-funded programs.”

It’s a hot Friday morning at 2100 Lakeside Avenue as director of operations David Blunt walks out into the yard of the homeless shelter for men in central Cleveland. He eyes some residents hanging out at a table, watching TV and talking, noticing something quickly. “Hey fellas, put those masks on… put those masks on, gentlemen!” Blunt hollers.

Learn the ins and outs of the housing and shelter systems in Cuyahoga County in this three part webinar series.

As I monitor the day’s trending news on the internet, and as I watch the network news on television, I often turn to the radio to escape the perpetual madness. The radio, contrary to mass perceptions, seems to be the only place where you can listen to two strikingly different opinions while on the same channel…

All donations made between Tuesday 7/21 and Monday 7/27 will be matched! Enter your payment information then scratch off to reveal how much of your donation will be matched by the By The Hand Foundation!

Learn how people experiencing addiction are criminalized, penalized, and dehumanized within social services, and what you can do to create a healthier environment for the people you serve.

A cherry-colored 10-speed rests inside the door of room 123 at a hotel on the west side. It’s overturned, forks facing the ceiling, a deflated front tire slung over a pedal. Abel Currie has crisscrossed Cleveland on the vintage bike, sometimes on a shady park trail, other times packing a lunch and heading to the lakefront. Lately, his rides have been an escape from the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic, which have created chaos, especially for those experiencing homelessness

The Outreach Director will oversee the daily operations of the Cleveland Outreach Collaborative, including NEOCH outreach staff and staff from partnering organizations who work collectively to support Cleveland’s unsheltered population. The Outreach Director will, in coordination with the Executive Director, interview, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate all outreach staff.

We are heartbroken and outraged by the systemic killing of black people and we continue to stand with communities of color on the front lines demanding justice. We are reminded by Frederick Douglass that, “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

Access to utilities is a human right, especially during a global pandemic. Large corporations that monopolize and profit from the provision of a human right should not be a priority, particularly when so many Ohio households are struggling to pay their bills and remain safe in their housing.

The outreach worker will visit encampments, drop-in centers, soup kitchens, and abandoned houses, targeting individuals based on vulnerability and service needs. The worker will build a stability plan with clients, eliminate possible barriers, provide linkage to supportive services, and offer help with accessing temporary and permanent housing. The outreach worker will provide a warm hand off to housing and service providers and will continue to support the client after move-in to help stabilize housing.

I miss working not just because of the income but because working allowed me to socialize with people who would normally ignore me or reject me if I wasn’t working. I miss selling the paper and talking to my customers. I miss greeting the regular customers each week as they shop at the Market.

People living paycheck to paycheck are facing eviction now that coronavirus has struck the economy. These renters across Ohio are urging Gov. DeWine to issue a statewide moratorium on residential evictions with tenant supports.

People at-risk in their housing need to share their story with our elected officials. Anyone who is struggling to pay their rent should let Gov. DeWine and our public officials know that now is not the time to be at-risk in your housing. We need a statewide 90-day moratorium on residential rental evictions with tenant protections for all Ohio renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can take these 5 steps to increase the capacity of your organization while supporting work being done on the ground in our community.

In times of crisis, small groups of neighbors come together to meet needs in their community. Learn how to effectively utilize these networks to increase your organization's capacity during the COVID-19 crisis, and those to come. 

Our community needs to be providing comprehensive support to those “sheltering-in-place” outside. Rather than wait for people experiencing homelessness to grow ill and require quarantine or hospitalization, we can be proactive by putting people who are vulnerable into hotel rooms. Hotel rooms are broadly unoccupied during this crisis and they meet the definition of non-congregate sheltering. What happens when our friends can’t practice social distancing because they must stand in line for shelter and meals? What happens when they can’t stock up on supplies, “go home,” and wait it out?