In Just 5 Months, Mayor Bibb’s Initiative Has Found Homes For 112 Unsheltered Individuals Who Were Residing At 15 Sites All Across The City
Friday, December 20, 2024 — Cleveland — Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced the results for the latest stage of the City’s “A Home for Every Neighbor” initiative. During this most recent stage of implementation, 44 highly vulnerable unsheltered neighbors who were experiencing long-term homelessness and dealing with untreated disabilities were successfully engaged and are now receiving ongoing support. The team behind the initiative focused on eight target areas for this latest stage of implementation and helped find housing for:
- 22 Neighbors residing near the Abbey Avenue Bridge
- 12 Neighbors residing near East 20th Street and Davenport Avenue
- 3 Neighbors residing near West Street
- 2 Neighbors residing near Colgate Avenue
- 2 Neighbors residing near East 17th Street and Superior Avenue
- 1 Neighbor residing near East 18th Street and Superior Avenue
- 1 Neighbor residing near West 73rd Street and Clark Avenue
- 1 Neighbor residing near West 25th Street and Washington Avenue
“It takes a village to address an issue as complex as homelessness. To see this level of success this quickly is truly a testament to all of our amazing partners and speaks volumes about their commitment to this initiative. We are not where we’re at today without them,” said Mayor Bibb. “I am so incredibly thankful to all of the case managers, outreach coordinators, service providers, and everyone else who has given their time and resources to make this happen. This milestone achievement is not possible without everyone’s dedication and hard work.”
“While I’m proud of what we’ve done so far, now is not the time to declare mission accomplished,” added Mayor Bibb. “We must continue working together to reach our ultimate goal of ending unsheltered homelessness in Cleveland.”
Earlier this year, Mayor Bibb launched this brand-new initiative with the City taking on a lead role to provide more resources, increase options, and accelerate the housing process for unsheltered residents. Within just the first couple of months, a Request for Proposals was issued, multiple responses were vetted, and a consultant was chosen – who then refined the City’s strategy based on best practices from model cities and tailored it to Cleveland-specific strengths and community partnerships.
The finalized execution strategy included identifying geographic areas for targeted housing-focused outreach; documenting unique needs specific to each neighbor in these areas; recruiting landlords with signing bonuses and twelve months of guaranteed rental payments if the resident remains housed; aligning and collaborating with various partners for health, employment, transportation, and other services; intensive and compassionate engagement with neighbors during the transition process; and ongoing case management along with additional support following move-in.
The City moved forward with implementation over the summer launching a pilot where homes were found for all 12 unsheltered neighbors residing at sites in Canal Basin Park and near West Side Catholic Center. The success continued as an additional 56 unsheltered neighbors residing at five other sites were housed in the two stages that followed. To date, 112 unsheltered neighbors now have homes through the initiative – with approximately 70% of them experiencing chronic homelessness.
The initiative is supported by I’m In Ministry!, Frontline Services, Clutch Consulting Group, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, West Side Catholic Center, Downtown Cleveland Inc., Cleveland Mediation Center, and Safe Spaces. These partners provide various services that include case management, outreach, strategy consulting, connections to mental health care and drug treatment, legal aid, funding administration, and facilitating charitable donations for furniture, clothing, and other items. The City’s Departments of Public Health, Community Development, and Public Works also provide support.
“We are proud to partner with Mayor Bibb and his team on such an important initiative by providing more than 1,500 pieces of furniture and countless articles of clothing, kitchenware, and other items to those who need it most,” said Deacon Lou Primozic – Founder, President and CEO of I’m In Ministry! “So many of those we have helped have told me that they thought this day would never come, but making the impossible possible and uplifting people is what our organization and this initiative is all about. Everyone in our community – regardless of who they are or the situation they are in – deserves to be treated with compassion, care, and dignity.”
The teams implementing the strategy are currently working on other site locations across the City and continue to look for ways to improve procedures and streamline processes so that unsheltered neighbors can get access to housing more quickly and maintain their housing.
Landlords who are interested in providing housing for “A Home For Every Neighbor” should contact Liam Haggerty, the City’s Housing & Outreach Project Manager for the initiative, by emailing LHaggerty@clevelandohio.gov or calling / texting (216)-857-1104.
Those who would like to donate items should contact I’m In Ministry! by emailing info@iminministry.com, calling (440)-502-1060, or submitting a pickup request form online. They accept various items and are always looking for volunteers as well.
