STAND WITH EUCLID BEACH: A LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Background photo credit: Steven Litt, cleveland.com (2021) Note: cleveland.com is not affiliated with NEOCH
Dear Community Partners,
As you may have heard, on Thursday, February 9th, 2023, a Neighborhood Plan was released in which The Western Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC) announced that they will displace the residents at Euclid Beach Mobile Home Park and destroy their beloved community. Over 100 people will have their homes and livelihoods erased from existence and over 100 already existing affordable housing units will no longer be available.
There are crucial movements in our work when we need to take a stand. This is one of them. Therefore, The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless cannot in good conscience continue to be part of this process. Instead, we will dedicate our resources, time, and talent to stand with the residents in defending their homes. We are asking you to join us in stepping down from this group and refusing to participate in any activity that furthers the destruction and displacement of this community.
Initially, we, as I am sure you did, hoped that the WRLC would do what is ethically right and engage in good faith with the residents to find a way to save their community and increase access to the lakefront park. This is clearly not the case and reasonable alternatives have either not been considered or completely ignored.
The WRLC has said that alternatives are financially impossible. Yet, we have seen no feasibility study nor transparency to such. Landlords are responsible for the maintenance of their properties, though we know all too well that many in the city of Cleveland fail at this responsibility. We should not allow landlords to raze their property instead of finding solutions to their inherited infrastructure problems.
On August 3rd, 2022, Residents formed a tenant union called United Residents of Euclid Beach (UREB) to collectively organize and defend their community after WRLC ignored their concerns about property management and conditions, and when rumors emerged about the possibility of mass displacement. They are being represented by the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
The union has told WRLC that they are in favor of a reduced footprint that allows residents to keep their community. Union members should have been involved in every step of the planning process since their formation. However, according to members, 1) Union members were disinvited from the steering committee after they spoke up. 2) There were other meetings, such as the housing stakeholders meeting, that members asked to attend and were told they were not welcome. 3) Moreover, they have been followed and intimidated at other public meetings.
We hear the words “housing justice” a lot these days. It is often tossed around in meetings. This is an opportunity to embody it. The first step is listening and standing side by side with those directly impacted. These residents are organized and crying out for the community to stand with them. Therefore, if you believe in housing justice, join the residents in fighting to remain in their homes and in their community. Resign from participating in their mass displacement and do not allow the WRLC to destroy already existent affordable housing, which our community so desperately needs.
Join me in working together with the community to create equitable and just solutions to the challenges of the moment. Let us come together and forge a new path that centers the poor and working-class people of Cleveland. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Chris Knestrick
Executive Director
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
Euclid Beach in the News:
Euclid Beach Park Mobile Home Park residents speak out against their displacement
Euclid Beach Mobile Home Community residents wonder what's next amid redevelopment plans
Euclid Beach Mobile Home Community still hopes they'll avoid having to move out
From mobile home park to Metropark? Euclid Beach residents speak out to save their homes