CLEVELAND — Meeka Compton was finally able to own her home in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood just three years ago and is now hoping the city will use millions in federal American Recovery Plan Act Funds to help others achieve the same dream.
Compton told News 5 that the City of Cleveland should put more money into trying to repair and save distressed homes, as Cleveland City Council hammered a rough draft $56 million ARPA spending plan on June 27.
“Start to repair some of these houses that can be repaired, not just tearing them down," Compton said. "There’s so many houses that can be saved.”
"There are plenty of ways to use this money, also for more law enforcement, education, some tutoring, some financial literacy for the adults and some home buyer programs that actually work.”
Slavic Village resident Ed McDonald, who has used his drone to shoot videos of distressed vacant homes over the past several years, believes federal pandemic relief funds should also be used to promote small business growth, especially along business corridors like Fleet Avenue.
“If you start pumping some money into getting some of these storefronts into looking nice, and the insides of these buildings looking nice, and try to renovate them so they are sellable, we can have viable businesses in this neighborhood.”
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin said city council is in constant contact with Mayor Justin Bibb and his administration in crafting a final plan, which he believes could be ready for a council vote in late August or September. Griffin said the current rough draft plan must be trimmed to $53 million and could include up to $35 million in various forms of housing assistance.
“We have a catastrophe right now, we have a catastrophe in housing insecurity," Griffin said. “Whether it be rental assistance, home repair, whether it be GAP financing, in order to be able to use this as an opportunity to get people a more stable, affordable housing, where they can become homeowners. There has to be a sense of urgency that you have to address the crisis.”
Stephanie Howse, Cleveland Councilwoman, Ward 7 told News 5 that she hopes the final plan will focus on children, families and seniors.
“Also educationally, understanding that many of our children are several years behind, and how do we prepare them, not only for today but in the future," Howse said. “How do we think through our city services and even working with our county partners to reengage our seniors in new and innovative ways.”
Back in May, Bibb announced 10 priorities in the use of the federal ARPA funding, including:
Stabilizing the Budget: ARPA funds were primarily intended to assist cities with revenue replacement that was lost due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Inclusive Economic Recovery: We’re moving away from managing decline to making investments that drive growth in Cleveland’s neighborhoods that have been overlooked or excluded in the past.
Housing for All: Affordable housing and investments that drive wealth creation and home ownership.
Violence Prevention & Public Safety: A comprehensive approach to public safety invests in initiatives that address the root causes of violence and crime. We must invest in proven programs focused on proactive intervention and prevention.
Closing the Digital Divide: Thirty percent of residents don’t have internet or reliable Wi-Fi or broadband services. We’re committed to making targeted investments to close the digital divide and make internet access more affordable and accessible.
A Modern & Transparent City Hall: Residents of Cleveland deserve a responsive City Hall that embraces the best practices in constituent engagement. Achieving this requires investment in new technologies, services, and process improvements.
Education for Everyone: From newborns to adult learners, from students to CEOs, improving education is the foundation of our future. We must support learning at all ages, inside and outside the classroom to improve literacy rates, college and work readiness.
Lead-Safe Cleveland: Cleveland is facing a lead crisis. Nearly 90% of our housing stock was built before lead paint was outlawed. We must put a stop to this public health emergency and make properties lead-safe to ensure no more children are impacted by the dangers of lead exposure.
Arts & Neighborhood Amenities: Cleveland is a city on the rise and our arts, recreation, parks, cultural treasures, and other amenities should reflect that.
Civic Participation Fund: Cleveland's 17 wards can identify important neighborhood projects and advocate for change at the hyper-local level in partnership with City Council.
