CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland City Council has approved $4.5 million for Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to build new homes in several parts of the city.
The legislation, funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars, helps combine other private and public money to build 400 homes through 2027. The city’s Committee of The Whole approved the legislation Monday, and it will be up for final passage Monday evening.
The city’s investment alone allows Habitat to build 50 homes in wards 2, 4, 8, 11 and 15, cleveland.com reported previously.
Ward 2, represented by Kevin Bishop, includes Mt. Pleasant, Union-Miles and Mill Creek Fall. Ward 4, represented by Deborah Gray, includes Shaker Square and parts of Buckeye-Shaker, Woodland Hills, and Mt. Pleasant. Ward 8, represented by Mike Polensek, includes North Shore Collinwood, Collinwood Village, and the east part of Glenville. Ward 11, represented by Danny Kelly, includes parts of Edgewater, Cudell, West Boulevard, Jefferson and Bellaire-Puritas. Ward 15, represented by Jenny Spencer, includes Edgewater, Cudell, Detroit Shoreway and some of Ohio City and Stockyard, according to the city’s website.
New homes tend to improve surrounding property values, and Habitat for Humanity also helps with repairs for residents whose properties neighbor the new builds, said Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity CEO John Litten.
“We’re building communities as much as we’re building homes,” Litten said.
Spencer, whose district will receive new homes under the legislation, cited the city’s need for more housing across the board as a reason for supporting the legislation.
“You’re not going to get a bigger bang for your buck,” Spencer said of Habitat for Humanity. “We just can’t let this opportunity pass us by.”
Polensek, whose ward is also set to receive new houses, supported the proposal, but said Mayor Justin Bibb needs a cohesive strategy for building more homes in the city.
Alyssa Hernandez, the director of the city’s Department of Community Development, said the city is first focusing on allocating ARPA dollars – which must be under contract by the last day of 2024 and spent before the first day of 2027 – and intends to develop a long-term strategy at some point.
The legislation allocating the money sets aside an additional $500,000 for Habitat to purchase the building on which its ReStore building is housed.
While council generally supported the money, and praised Habitat for Humanity, others were concerned about a lack of what they see as equal funding among wards. One of those dissenters was Ward 5 Councilman Richard Starr.
“It’s frustrating,” Starr said. “If I don’t flip out and start cussing people out, I don’t get anything for my neighborhood. I do have vacant lots, and I do have areas that need development.”
The legislation was put forth as an initiative of City Council, as opposed to the administration, Council President Blaine Griffin said. And the wards that were mentioned in the legislation were based on requests from councilmembers, rather than a single grading criteria often used for public investments, such as evaluating the quality of roads.
Responding to Starr’s concerns, Griffin asked Litten if Habitat would consider building more homes in other neighborhoods if City Council were to set aside more money.
“If additional funding is available we would be interested in additional neighborhoods,” Litten said.