Road to Recovery, Mayoral Forum, LMM Advocacy is Hiring & More!
Advocacy News from LMM
The Road to Recovery: LMM Shelter in Transition
As LMM transitions into the next phase following the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to work to ensure that homelessness be brief, rare, and non-reoccurring. We need your help to make this happen:
Know a landlord? Encourage property owners to accept housing vouchers. This will help reduce the amount of time it takes for residents to find stable housing. Visit EDEN or CMHA to learn more about the voucher process.
End Source of Income Discrimination: Right now it is legal to deny someone housing because they plan to pay with a non-cash source of income like a voucher. This makes finding housing for individuals leaving homelessness incredibly difficult. Add your name to a letter that asks Cleveland City Council to ban “source of income” discrimination.
Make it Fair: Many individuals experiencing homelessness face barriers to finding long-term housing because of their criminal background and/or credit scores. Advocates are working to reduce these barriers. Sign up here to join us in advocating for fair chances.
Limit Evictions: Did you know that you can face eviction for being one day late on rent? Get involved in local efforts to provide Pay To Stay protections to renters. With Pay to Stay, a landlord may not proceed with the eviction for nonpayment of rent if that tenant presents the full rent due plus late fees by the time of the eviction hearing.
Engage Civically: It is essential that the next Mayor of Cleveland understand the challenges faced by those who are experiencing homelessness and come into office with a clear housing plan. Join us virtually on August 11 at 5:30 PM for a Mayoral Forum on Housing and Homelessness. This forum will give those who are experiencing homelessness and those who provide direct services a voice in the political process. Sign up here to watch the virtual forum!
LMM is thrilled to be partnering with the League of Women Voters and several housing and shelter providers to host a virtual mayoral forum on housing and homelessness. This forum will provide candidates with the opportunity to share their vision for housing and ending homelessness in Cleveland. The forum will also give voice to those experiencing homelessness and the people directly serving this population by creating an opportunity for people with lived experience to ask questions of candidates directly. Learn more about the forum and RSVP here!
Toward a More Equitable Community
LMM is excited to share that it was one of 11 grantees awarded funding through ClevelandVotes’ Equitable Civic Engagement Fund. These funds will support bi-monthly civic engagement opportunities for LMM staff and program participants between August and December. LMM aims to increase the number of people who are aware of the three upcoming elections, are registered to vote, and turnout for the election. As a reminder, these elections are scheduled for: August 3rd (the 11th District Special Election); September 14th (Mayoral Primary) and November 2nd (General Election).
LMM Advocacy is Hiring!
As part of LMM’s commitment to advancing a more racially equitable community through advocacy and community engagement, we are hiring a Community Engagement Coordinator. Know someone who has a passion for creating a culture of community engagement and enjoys planning voter registration drives and educational events, building power within LMM-served communities and attending and planning community events (meetings, rallies, forums)? If yes, encourage them to apply!
Eight Weeks Down, Two to Go
Mark Grabowski is rounding the corner on his time interning with LMM’s Advocacy Department. Click here for an update on how his summer is going!
Mark (pictured in center), running the registration table at LMM's Team Up to Clean Up alongside LMM staffers!
Good News from Columbus
LMM's Aging in Ohio and the Future of Guardianship public officials' breakfast in 2019
In Cuyahoga County, APS is often the first step in identifying individuals who need guardianship services. While Cuyahoga County APS is fortunate to have access to funding through the Health and Human Services Levy, most counties are not. For this reason, we are thrilled to see an increase in funding for AP from $4.2 million in FY2021 to $5.7 million in FY 2022 and FY 2023. This will amount to an increase from $47k per county to $65k per county – enough for a full-time equivalent!
