Local News on Cleveland Homelessness

Spice Warning Issued

After a large number of hospitalizations because of a synthetic drug called Spice, the two national homeless groups have issued alerts to the shelters in the United States.  The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council have issued a warning for homeless people to avoid these harmful illegal drugs.  The alert is on both national websites.

 City Mission Wins Victory at HUD

The local Coordinated Intake has demanded that every resident go to complete an intake form before going to any shelter in the community or the County would declare them no longer homeless.  The women were told last fall that they could not access any publicly funded program including transitional shelters, housing assistance or permanent supportive housing program.  The women protested to the County and then to the funder of Coordinated Intake, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Both complaints were denied.  The City Mission which oversees Laura’s Home shelter for women and families complained to their Congressional delegation.

In May, the County negotiated an agreement with the shelter to allow the women and men that will allow them to continue to go to the two privately funded shelters and then go to the Coordinated Intake within five days and still maintain eligibility.   All the existing clients will go over to get their intake done to remain eligible for homeless programs.  This is exactly what the women asked for back in October 2013, but were denied by the County and the Federal Department.  It took a Plain Dealer story and Congressional involvement to get compromise on this issue. 

Copyright Cleveland Street Chronicle

May 2014  Cleveland, Ohio