Cleveland, Ohio resides in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The county as a whole estimates based on consensus data that there are around 23,000 homeless people which is about 10% of the population. Data shows that there were 2,744 homeless students enrolled in public schools in the county in 2017. The Office of Homeless Services reports the number of people in homeless shelters in 2017 at 4,698. Every shelter in the city is full to capacity and The Public Housing Waiting list has 21,000 surpassed 21,000 people. It is estimated that a single individual must work 40 hours a week at a $15/hr job to afford a two bedroom apartment, while minimum wage in Cleveland averages about $8.30/hr. It is estimated that about 55,000 needed subsidized housing in 2017 in the Cleveland area.
Homeless youth is a major population in Cleveland. Often, youth become homeless because they were kicked out due to being LGBTQ, or they aged out of the foster care system and had nowhere to go. One organization called A Way Home realized a goal to place 100 homeless youth, and they estimated that 79% of homeless youth were African American and 59% were female. It is also estimated that 42% of homeless youth are LGBT, yet that community only makes up 7% of the population as a whole.
We researched some information on shelters in the area to help educate ourselves on resources Cleveland has to offer to the homeless population.
Family Promise of Greater Cleveland - Their mission is to inspire and empower homeless families to transform their lives, become self-sufficient, and fulfill their promise. They are a private, non-profit organization. Merged from two organizations. Focus on hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland and New Life Community. Helping over 100 families a year, Family Promise of greater Cleveland provides assistance to families through the trauma of homelessness every year and as they strive to become financially stable. They are able to do this by providing case managers to assist the families in this difficult time
NEOCH Youth Shelter - Mission is to organize and empower homeless and at-risk men, women and children to break the cycle of poverty through public education, advocacy and the creation of nurturing environments. Founded in 1988. Successor of the “Emergency Shelter Coalition. More known for their purpose of being active advocates to homelessness awareness, NEOCH brings together a diverse group of individuals to end homelessness everywhere. All programs are featured around Organizing and Empowering, Educating and Advocating, and Creating Nurturing Environments.
Julie Adams House - Offers rehabilitation for women who are trying to readapt to society due to struggles with incarceration, addiction, and other disturbances in their life. Offers a four phase program. Six month rehabilitation process
Laura's House/Domestic Violence Shelter - Providing help and hope to all people through the transforming power of God's love. They host 60 Women and 90 Children; regularly and also help Former and Current Inmates. They promote Help, Heart, ans Home in a Three Stage Program. The city mission began in 1910. Laura’s Home and The City Mission is known for faithfully proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it will be a catalyst for positive change in Cleveland resulting in the radical transformation of individuals and communities for generations to come.
While we are not working directly with these shelters, we now have a better understanding of the resources Cleveland has to offer. We will be serving breakfast at a men's shelter one morning, and with this research, we have a more rounded view of who homelessness affects and how those we will be serving may have been receiving help.