Kris Harsh: I'm working to bring a builder of manufactured housing to Cleveland. If we can build affordable new housing, we will lessen the strain on the existing housing market. 

Rehan Waheed: We will focus on making sure that housing is a right for everyone, not a luxury. Focus on development of new affordable home built with the community in mind. Fix and preserve the homes we already have so they stay safe and affordable for people who live here. Provide support for homeowners and renters to help them stay in their homes and avoid displacement. 

Richard Starr: To encourage affordable housing development and preservation in Cleveland, I propose the following steps: 1. Tax incentives and zoning policies: Implement tax incentives and zoning policies that make it more attractive for developers to build affordable housing units. These incentives could include reduced property taxes, streamlined permitting processes, and waived or reduced fees for developers who commit to building affordable housing. 2. Public-private partnerships: Establish public-private partnerships between the city and local developers, nonprofits, and community organizations to create affordable housing projects. This collaboration can help pool resources, share expertise, and leverage both public and private funds to maximize the impact of affordable housing initiatives. 3. Preservation of existing affordable housing stock: Prioritize the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing stock. Offer funding, tax credits, or low-interest loans to property owners who are willing to maintain or upgrade their affordable housing units. 4. Rent stabilization and tenant protections: Consider implementing rent stabilization policies that limit the rate at which landlords can increase rents, providing greater housing security for tenants. 

Rebecca Maurer: Sadly, Cleveland is preempted from enacting true rent control. But there’s still a lot we can do to make housing more affordable and stable. Here is a list of my top hits: (1) I want to expand homeownership, helping more Clevelanders access affordable mortgages and down payment assistance so we keep wealth in our communities, not in the hands of out-of-state landlords. (2) I also support modular housing to create new, affordable homes across the city. (3) For longtime homeowners, especially seniors and families of color, we must expand home repair programs so people can stay safely in their homes. (4) I’ll continue to advocate for property tax relief through long-term owner-occupancy protections at the state level. (5) And finally, I’ll champion Source of Income Protections so renters using housing vouchers can find homes across Cleveland without discrimination. 

Austin Davis: The City of Cleveland owns more than 18,000 parcels of land all across the city. We should put that public land to good use and build affordable housing on it, ideally through long-term ground leases in partnership with community land trusts like the Near West Land Trust. The public can retain ownership of the land while allowing the private construction of new housing. That housing could include deeply affordable rental units, permanently affordable homes for purchase, co-ops, or mixed-income developments that prioritize local residents. I also believe in saying yes to housing across the board. By legalizing specific housing options—like small apartment buildings and accessory dwelling units—we can help direct higher-income renters moving to the Near West Side to alternatives, instead of snapping up the same limited stock of older, affordable homes. That helps preserve those homes’ affordability for working families while expanding options for everyone. 

Mohammad Faraj: A big distinction between myself and my opponent is that I don’t believe in trickle-down economics when it comes to anything, and that includes economic development. Development in the new Ward 7 is home to some of the most subsidized development in the city, but 40% of renters and 20% of homeowners don’t consider housing affordable. As TIFs become even more relied upon in the ward, which typically go towards projects managed by mega-corporations and multi-billionaires, it is imperative that Council advocates for increased oversight of public subsidies and more equitably-negotiated Community Benefits. The thousands of conversations about this topic that I have had in the ward has made it very clear that the city is not negotiating the best deals out of the development agreements that are receiving public subsidies, and I consider this connected to the lack of affordable housing in the ward. Increased oversight and more aggressively negotiated community benefits are key here, as the market deems Cleveland an investment that requires subsidies. Additionally, lack of affordable housing in Cleveland is also a financial equity issue that requires addressing access to low-interest capital, through utilizing community banks and credit unions, and employment opportunities, through supporting union apprenticeships and workforce development, for residents and potential residents. n

Stephanie Howse-Jones: The steps I have taken and will build upon to encourage affordable housing development and preservation in Cleveland are discussing models of communal living (shared housing) where community members jointly live together by combining their resources and connecting community members to the City invested training programs to increase the amount of skilled professionals that are able to repair and maintain our homes. ription

Nikki Hudson: Incentivize building housing at different price points, while ensuring that community minded developers take advantage of tax credits and funding options to build more units of affordable housing. 

Tanmay Shah: This is my top priority informed by my time as a housing attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. I will make sure that any tax abatements in the ward go entirely towards affordable housing. Not just a small token portion of projects as we have seen be the trend across the city. I would also fight for more tenant protections such as capping late fees, bogus fees, and making it easier to seal eviction records. I also support passing legislation similar to HOPE in Detroit that protects senior citizens from foreclosure due to their property tax burden. Finally, I want to increase funding for tenant organizing so we can have a city wide tenants union. 

Kris Harsh: The county needs to increase the number of vouchers. This has been understood for decades. The city can't force them to do that, however which makes this a tough question. 

Rehan Waheed: Unfortunately, there is stigma around section 8 housing for some, but when people get to know their neighbors, they realize that they aren't so different and many times those with a voucher end up being more respectful neighbors. We would work to improve the city's housing options by making sure our policies protect renters and make it easier for people to use their housing vouchers. We would focus on making sure landlords are not able to turn away people just because they have a voucher, which would help increase the placement rate. 

Kris Harsh: We should consider a sanctioned camping area. AHFEN has it's own drawbacks in that it doesn't provide enough substance abuse counseling. 

Rehan Waheed: We would also work on prevention, helping people before they become homeless by providing support for mental health and addiction, making sure we support our local small business to create a growing job economy, and more people first initiatives. Our plan is to address the root causes of homelessness so that fewer people lose their homes in the first place while also working to increase those who get housed with an plan forward. 

Kris Harsh: The city and county both focus on the shelter system as the vehicle to move people out of homelessness. We need to ensure those shelters are safe, clean and inviting. 

Rehan Waheed: Every person deserves to be treated with dignity. We would advocate for more safe places for people to go, like shelters and day centers, and ensure that those places provide access to things like clean water, bathrooms, and medical care. We would also work to make sure that people experiencing homelessness are not seen as a problem to be moved, but as neighbors who need help and support. 

Kris Harsh: I'm not sure how City Council can dictate the operations of Housing Court. There is a fantastic candidate running for that seat, Cheryl Wiltshire and I would hope she can directly address this issue. 

Rehan Waheed: We would work to make sure that renters are not unfairly harmed by inaccurate records. We would support policies that make it harder for private companies to scrape and sell data that can be used to hurt people. We would also work to make the process of sealing eviction records faster and easier for people who are in the clear. 

Kris Harsh: This is not my field of expertise. I'm open to suggestions. 

Rehan Waheed: We would create a system that helps people who have paid their debt to society get a fair chance at finding a home and make the transition easier back to society. We would work to connect housing providers with resources and information, so they can feel comfortable renting to people with criminal convictions.