Local redistricting

The number of Cleveland wards is expected to shrink from 17 to 15 following the 2020 census, which showed a decline in the city’s population. City Council will bring on a consultant by January to help with the redistricting process, Council President Blaine Griffin said during the Nov. 27 caucus meeting.  The process is required under the city’s charter, which sets the number of total wards and City Council seats based on the number of residents. The process should be completed before 2025.

The West Side has a denser population than the East Side, so redistricting efforts will need to consider equitable representation for Clevelanders, according to Griffin, who acknowledged the process could be “tough.” He told council members to alert him to any pending retirements or potential job changes. 

Council Member Michael Polensek warned against breaking up neighborhoods, referencing issues with past redistricting that created some wards  that looked “like a jigsaw.” Council will eventually vote on the new ward boundaries. 

Lead-safe housing

Council Member Rebecca Maurer and Griffin discussed the need to  increase oversight of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition’s work. The coalition is a public-private partnership that formed to address lead poisoning in Cleveland. City Council approved $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the coalition in 2022.

Maurer said that the percentage of lead-safe housing has not topped 20%. She said this is on par with other cities, but the coalition, through its grants and loans, has only helped repair about 200 homes in the past two years, far below its 1,000-per-year goal.

About 6,000 homes have been inspected and earned lead-safe certificates, according to a report presented at the most recent Lead Safe Advisory Board meeting. 

Emergency housing assistance

Council Member Kris Harsh said “rapid response” funding that council approved for housing is held up in the city’s law department. He said that vouchers have been on hold for months, referencing a public comment from Josiah Quarles on Nov. 20.

The issue is keeping residents from making a transition from temporary housing – such as shelters – to more stable homes. “Some of the shelters have filled up,” Harsh said.  “It’s a very real traffic jam.” 

Mind your words

Griffin told council members to be cautious about the language they use when talking about Israel and Palestine because of “heightened sensibilities” around the topic. These remarks came on the heels of a committee meeting in which Council Members Joe Jones and Polensek said they felt unsafe during a protest at City Council. 

Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell:

Suggested Reading

College student with kids in Cleveland? Here’s how to apply for affordable housing that offers help juggling it all

Apartments at the Louise C. Stokes Scholar House offer a place for student parents in college to live and receive wraparound services.

Understanding Cleveland’s ward boundaries (Explainer)

The number of council seats is expected to shrink by two before 2025 because Cleveland’s population is shrinking. That means the ward boundaries will change.