WKYC: Cleveland's 'A Home for Every Neighbor' project achieves housing goal months ahead of schedule

Lindsay Buckingham, WKYC

CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland's "A Home for Every Neighbor" initiative has reached a significant milestone months ahead of schedule, with 154 formerly unsheltered residents now having homes.

Mayor Justin Bibb, Councilwoman Stephanie Howse-Jones, and community partners announced the achievement Monday at I'm In Ministry's warehouse, where donated furniture is collected and prepared for distribution to program participants.

"This morning I'm proud to announce that because of this city led effort, we have officially housed 154 unsheltered neighbors in our city across nearly 50 sites and 13 wards in the great city of Cleveland, Ohio," said Mayor Bibb.

Ahead of Schedule

When the initiative launched, the City projected it would take 18 months to house 150 or more unsheltered Cleveland residents. However, through collaborative efforts with multiple community partners, that goal was achieved in significantly less time.

The most recent stage of implementation focused on 42 highly vulnerable unsheltered neighbors experiencing long-term homelessness and dealing with untreated disabilities. Teams targeted 32 areas across twelve different wards, with most having just one or two unsheltered people residing at each site.

Councilwoman Howse-Jones highlighted the initiative's success as a testament to community collaboration.

"When people tell us what we can't do, this a home for every neighbor initiative has told us what we can do when we're all working together, when we don't care who gets the credit, we do the work," she stated.

A Personal Connection

For Mayor Bibb, addressing homelessness is deeply personal. During the announcement, he shared his own family's experience with housing insecurity.

"For me, this is personal. But for the grace of God and my late grandma, Sarah, having a duplex on Dove, when my mama had hard times, when we faced eviction, when she got laid off, we always had a place to go to. We always had a place to go to. But unfortunately for far too many of our residents that it's not been the case," Bibb explained.

Comprehensive Approach

The initiative employs a housing-first strategy that addresses the multiple challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness.

"We all know the challenges that brought us here. As we saw coming out of the pandemic, we continue to see a rise in housing insecurity in our city and across the county. We continue to see a rise in mental health issues and challenges. We also continue to see challenges around drug abuse and alcohol abuse," said Mayor Bibb.

He added, "Through this approach, we've deployed a housing first approach, making sure we have the right wraparound services around our unsheltered neighbors to give them that hope, to give them that opportunity."

Community Partners

The initiative is supported by numerous community organizations, including 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.

Deacon Lou Primozic, President and CEO of I'm In Ministry, has played a crucial role in providing furniture for the newly housed residents.

"What I've learned over the years, bad things happen to good people, but this particular program, it sends a clear message. The forgotten are not forgotten," said Deacon Primozic.

His organization has collected and distributed nearly 2,000 pieces of furniture to program participants. Much of this furniture would have otherwise ended up in landfills.

"As you look around here, about 80% of what you see would've ended up in a landfill. And so what we've been able to do is repurpose furniture for many, many people," Primozic explained.

The Impact on Lives

Luke, a program participant who was homeless for about a year and a half, expressed his gratitude during the announcement.

"I just want to take this time and thank Nak and everybody else participated in getting me housing and stuff like that. Getting me off the streets is a big deal because it's not fun living in the streets, especially when, like he said in the weather, I hate the cold," Luke said.

He added, "If it wasn't for him or, and all the help he gives me with through the company and the program, I'd still be out there. And when God knows doing what, where, when, how, and that's still put into question sometimes."

Looking Ahead: Phase Two

With the success of the initial phase, I'm In Ministry has committed to expanding their support for the next stage of the initiative.

"Mayor Bibb, I will commit the resources that I'm in ministry for Phase two. We will double our efforts. We'll do 2000 plus pieces of furniture, and we will continue to stand by you in this program because what we wanna make clear is that Cleveland treats the forgotten as if they're not forgotten," Deacon Primozic promised.

How to Get Involved

Landlords interested in participating in the program receive signing bonuses and twelve months of guaranteed rental payments if residents remain housed. Those who would like to provide housing for "A Home For Every Neighbor" should contact Liam Haggerty, the City's Housing & Outreach Project Manager, by emailing LHaggerty@clevelandohio.gov or calling/texting (216)-857-1104.

Those interested in donating items should contact I'm In Ministry! by emailing info@iminministry.com, calling (440)-502-1060, or submitting a pickup request form online. The organization accepts various items and is looking for volunteers, including a box truck driver (CDL not required).

Read the original article here.