ORGANIZING
NEOCH’s organizing work mobilizes a grassroots constituency to share ideas and build power to ignite public support, political will, and initiatives to eliminate the root causes of homelessness.
Homeless Congress
The Homeless Congress is an organizing group of community leaders and advocates with lived experience of homelessness. NEOCH supports the Congress to hold open meetings each month, with sheltered and unsheltered residents invited to attend to discuss areas of mutual concern, solve problems, and pursue change. The ultimate mission of Homeless Congress is to build power in the unhoused community through solidarity and collective action. Those directly impacted by poverty, homelessness, and other forms of oppression come together to form relationships and advocate for change with a unified voice.
Housing Justice
Fundamental to NEOCH’s mission is the belief that housing is a human right. Therefore, we take a person-centered approach to the goal of eliminating the root causes of homelessness. We believe that true housing justice must be achieved through actively organizing and empowering those whom it concerns most - that is, people suffering from homelessness and housing insecurity. Our aim is to develop community-led collaboration and leadership that takes on issues of housing insecurity and homelessness by highlighting crisis issues and pushing for public sector action.
Voting Rights
For decades, NEOCH has been committed to defending the civil rights of the homeless community by ensuring that they have a say in both local and national elections. We frequently host voter registration drives at sites across the city of Cleveland to encourage homeless participation in public matters that concern them directly. This past year, NEOCH helped 200 people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity register to vote in time for the 2020 Presidential Election.
The Cleveland Street Chronicle
Since 1991, NEOCH has operated The Cleveland Street Chronicle, a newspaper written and sold by people with lived experience of homelessness. The newspaper, formerly known as The Homeless Grapevine, gives people experiencing homelessness a space for both self-expression and advocacy. We generally release The Cleveland Street Chronicle quarterly.