Willoughby resident Sandy Naffah lost both of her jobs -- at a school and a beauty salon -- when the pandemic-related shutdowns went into effect last year. Not long after, she fell behind on rent.

There was one bright spot in the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic in Cleveland last year: Fewer people were homeless and living on the streets.

Slavic Village residents face mounds of paperwork and uncooperative landlords as they try to stave off eviction. Housing advocates are trying to keep them from slipping through the cracks.

Under Ohio law, renters can be a day late on rent and still get evicted. Under a ‘Pay to Stay’ ordinance, a landlord may not proceed with the eviction for nonpayment of rent if that tenant presents the full rent due plus late fees by the time of their hearing.

Cleveland’s moratorium on shut-offs for water and electric is ending, with only one month left until federal aid expires. Where does that leave families with utility bills mounting?

Anna Powaski and Chad Falatic walk down the cracked sidewalk of a street in the Kinsman neighborhood, toward a small rental home with a sagging porch and a U-Haul moving truck in the driveway. They strike up a conversation with two men on the porch. Falatic and Powaski – both wearing masks ­– explain they’re with the Cleveland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and the reason why they’re there: The landlord has filed an eviction order.

The Neighborhood Outreach Worker is a shared position between Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) and Ohio City Improvement Corporation (OCIC), Ohio City’s Special Improvement District. This is a new role created to provide services throughout the Ohio City neighborhood, including building relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness, providing basic need items, and encouraging individuals to enroll in services for housing, victim support, and healthcare.

“The last two people who died in jail had experienced homelessness and these deaths at the county jail cannot become routine.” said Chris Knestrick from the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. “Like the lives lost through police murder, mass shootings, and the covid pandemic, these are not isolated instances. They are symptoms of the deep systemic rot that places property and profit above human life and human dignity.”

“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.