The Emerald Development & Economic Network (EDEN), alongside leaders from the Cleveland HUD office, announced Tuesday that the local nonprofit housing agency had received the largest HUD grant in the state of Ohio to provide new housing vouchers for people with disabilities, including those experiencing homelessness.
EDEN will receive 150 new vouchers to subsidize rental payments as part of the mainstream voucher program. Local HUD director Pamela Ashby presented EDEN with a ceremonial $850,000 check at the Commons at West Village in Detroit-Shoreway.
Elaine Gimmel, EDEN’s Director, said that the funding is part of a recent federal allocation for the mainstream voucher program, the first such new funding since 2005. The 150 vouchers will be in addition to the 175 that the organization currently administers.
On Dec. 9, EDEN will open up its wait list for the mainstream housing voucher program for the first time in 15 years.
(The “mainstream voucher program” is apart from the housing choice voucher program administered by CMHA, and refers specifically to housing vouchers for people with disabilities. But both vouchers are tailored to individual recipients. Those with a housing voucher pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. The voucher covers the rest. And for many of the applicants in the mainstream housing voucher program, total income may be at, or very close to, zero.)
“[This award] not only speaks to the strong work that EDEN does,” said Gimmel, in prepared remarks, “but the strong collaborations in the City of Cleveland and in Cuyahoga County.”
Gimmel said that approximately 11 percent of the county population, roughly 135,000 people, live with a disability. The vouchers, she said, are “greatly needed,” because they allow many of those people, especially those facing housing insecurity or homelessness, to live independent lives.
“It’s clear that we need as much financial support and partnerships so that we may continue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community,” she said. “These 150 vouchers take us a step forward in addressing the affordable housing crisis in Northeast Ohio.”
In a conversation after the announcement, Gimmel said that while 150 may not seem like a significant number, given the need that exists, EDEN will be required to secure leases for at least 80 percent of their new vouchers within a year, and EDEN didn’t want to take on more than they could handle.
Once the contract officially begins, EDEN will hire additional staff to administer the new vouchers. EDEN already has staff to scout potential locations — finding landlords who accept vouchers has become increasingly challenging — and those dedicated to the housing stability of their clients.
EDEN’s Marketing and Communications Officer, Alex Lakin, read a testimonial from EDEN client Darlene, who has been living in her home on the east side for 27 years.
“I was really struggling to pay my bills, and [the voucher] really helped me to not be in a crunch,” Darlene said. “How will I pay for this? How will I pay for that? … I like my home, and nobody really wants to move at my age. I love that I didn’t have to move.”
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This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2019.
Are there really that many disabled people in Cuyahoga county? I guess it’s no wonder that our property taxes are through the roof for us property owners!
This paves the way for Emerald Alliance to use the Housing First building being constructed at 3881 Pearl to house disabled couples and seniors, instead of as intended – homeless individuals. The whole racket is disgusting. While I am glad the building (right by our Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and three schools) will not house untreated mentally ill persons, drug and sex offenders – it is still a galling waste of taxpayer dollars. Each unit costs upwards ^$200K to construct and saintly EDEN collects rent on these folks w/o paying taxes on these properties as other organizations that provide better service do PAY taxes. The complicit media has now created this problem of where to house disabled seniors as the rental registry fee and onerous lead legislation has property owners dumping their HUD voucher tenants. The racket has also created opportunity for kickbacks and bribes at the CDCs in Cleveland – as inspections which cost $$$ can be done by CDC staffers at Detroit Shoreway aka Metro West in area around Metrohealth hospital.
Federal Definition of Development Disabilities: The term “developmental disability” means a severe chronic disability of an individual 5 years of age or older that:
1) I attributable to a mental or physical impairment of combination of mental and physical impairments:
2) THIS IS KEY “is manifested before the age of 22
3) Is likely to continue indefinitely
4) results in substantial functional limitations in THREE or more areas of life activity
1. self care 2. receptive and expressive language 3. learning 4. mobility 5. self-direction 6. CAPACITY FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING and 7. Economic self sufficiency
Reflects the individual’s need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary or generic services supports of other assistance that is of lifelong duration.
In order to qualify for the charitable property tax exemption under ORC 5709.12 ALL OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET INCLUDING
“the institution’s primary purpose is to acquire, develop, lease and otherwise provide suitable housing to individuals with DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.” North Coast Community Homes does this. Check. With 24 hours supportive services. Koinonia Homes does this. With on site professional services for their developmentally disabled residents. Check.
EDEN………not so much. Or at all. And yet they pay no property taxes. HMMMMMMMMMM
And apparently it’s no trouble at all to have us homeowners have the outrageously high burden of property tax payments to our corrupt county that funds all of these numerous, equally corrupt agencies!!!
To add insult to injury, there will be yet ANOTHER ma$$ive property tax levy for the corrupt health and human services on the ballot again in March!!!
It’s time to VOTE NO on all this nonsense and actually reduce our property taxes for once around this corruption-filled city and county!!!