CLEVELAND — Along East 73rd Street and Detour Avenue in Cleveland, you'll find homes holding on for dear life. The aging structures are creating an eyesore in the East Side community but a group of best friends are buying back the block.
"We can get rid of the dilapidated homes that, you know, that are a nuisance," said Richard Singleton.
Singleton, Jermaine Brooks, and Will Levy formed a foundation in the real estate industry right here in Northeast Ohio. News 5 first introduced you to the WRJ Developers back in 2020.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
They transform shipping containers into affordable housing but the business partners admit it hasn't always been easy.
"We started and concentrated on duplexes because we kept getting told 'no' on apartment building due to our resumé, due to the funding," said Brooks.
They finally got a 'yes' from Cleveland Development Advisors. Now, CDA is looking to help others facing the same challenges.
They're launching the Cleveland Equitable Development Initiative. It's eight months of training designed to mentor, support and create more opportunities for entrepreneurs of color.
"When you see the developments that you know essentially meet the needs of the community and then also are reflective of the community, hopefully, you know, people will, you know, get on board and essentially gain approval for some of these projects," said Senior Director of Development Services at CDA William Willis.
