Live and Direct: Poverty, Affordable Housing, and Homelessness in Cleveland

Despite the ‘renaissance’ in Cleveland, people still struggle to live a dignified life. 46% of the people in Cleveland live in poverty and 23,000 people experience homelessness. Join us to learn more! This panel discussion that will center the perspectives of people with lived experience of homelessness and community leaders advocating for change.

Read More
Homeless liaisons help the homeless children in each of Ohio’s School Districts

Every year thousands of families struggle with homelessness. In Cleveland, there were 2,744 homeless students in 2017.  Statistics show that the percentage of homeless children in Ohio who graduate is less than 25% according to the National Center on Family Homelessness.  Education of today’s children plays an important roll in preventing homelessness.

Read More
Homeless Congress - April 12, 2018

For the remainder of the meeting the YWCA was in charge. Nicole Evans of the YWCA, who as of May 1, 2018, will take over as the Executive Director at the Norma Herr Shelter as the YWCA takes the reign from Frontline

  • What can we do to help make your homeless experience be as brief as possible?
  • To empower women to receive the institutional services that they are entitled to overcome the homeless experience, trauma, physical abuse, substance abuse, and self-suffering.
  • Encourage women to make Informed decisions for themselves
  • To increase resources that are available to women in the shelter to establish independence in the community.
Read More
Winter - reflections of then and now, before and after the SocksPlus Campaign

 Before SocksPlus, it was common to see homeless individuals with bags tied over their tennis shoes to serve as boots.  It was normal to find individuals with holes in their shoes and wet socks and feet.  It was typical to find people suffering without gloves, hats and warm socks.  It was never easy knowing that people were suffering in the cold and you have no hats or gloves or socks to give them to provide some warmth.  Before the SocksPlus campaign outreach workers would have to call on churches and put out notices of what was needed for an individual and what sizes was needed and then wait.  It could take days or a week to get an individual geared up with warm socks, boots, gloves and a hat.  They were definitely hard to come by because there were so many who were sleeping outside and they all needed winter gear once the weather started changing

Read More
Chris Knestrick
Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program

The Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program (CHLAP) is a program of the CMBA.  It works with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) and homeless shelters in the area to focus on the legal issues that are of concern to those in Cleveland who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of becoming homeless.  The program offers an important service to the individuals in need by providing access to justice through brief advice and counseling clinics at regularly scheduled times in shelters and social service sites where they reside or gather for meals and other services.  

Read More
Hear for the Homeless: Benefit concert for NEOCH

Music is a bridge that can bring awareness and spur action. Emerging from Phil Collins's installation, my heart's in my hand..., currently on view at MOCA Cleveland, this special concert seeks to generate attention and support to help improve the conditions for homeless people in Cleveland. Benefitting Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), the concert will feature musicians and bands from here and beyond who address social issues in their music and practice. The event will be held at Beachland Ballroom, a venue that has long provided a stage for musicians who inspire change. 

Read More