Recovering and Rebuilding: The Role of Cuyahoga County Housing Program 

Two years ago Cuyahoga County Council, at the County Administration’s request, approved a multi-year $30 million County Housing Program to “stabilize and strengthen the County’s housing market, reduce housing insecurity, eliminate vacant and blighted residential structures, accelerate new construction and renovation of existing housing, improve access to capital and affordable housing, and help county residents maintain their homes in good repair and avoid foreclosure.”

The Program consists of three components:  1) home renovation in emerging markets, 2) assistance to home owners seeking to acquire home purchase mortgages in lower priced markets ($70,000 or less) and assistance to home owners seeking home repair resources, and 3) strategic activities intended to spur private market investment in emerging and future markets.

This forum will bring together representatives from county government and agencies that have significant responsibility for implementing the program:  the Cuyahoga Land Bank, CHN Housing Partners and Community Housing Solutions.  The forum will also present new research on median home sale price trends and housing market recovery in Cleveland neighborhoods and Cuyahoga suburbs. 

Among the topics the forum will address are:

• What are “emerging” and “future” markets in Cuyahoga County?
• What has been accomplished over the past one year in terms of renovation , demolition and home repair?
• Have program adjustments been made in response to lessons learned so far?
• How is the program responding to the continued depressed housing values in the East Side of Cleveland, and some East Inner Suburbs?
• Describe how the program will be able to prioritize the removal or redevelopment of vacant and blighted properties.
• What goals and objectives are projected for the 2021 calendar year?

The forum will be moderated by Frank Ford, Senior Policy Advisor with Western Reserve Land Conservancy.  Panelists include:

• Kim Kimlin, Chief Operating Officer, Cuyahoga County Land Bank
• Patrick Kenney, Chief Operating Officer, CHN Housing Partners
• Andy Nikiforovs, Executive Director, Community Housing Solutions
• Paul Herdeg, Deputy Chief Economic Development Officer, Cuyahoga County Department of Economic Development
• Cheryl Stephens, Councilwoman and Chair, Cuyahoga County Council Community Development Committee (pending).