A Cleveland program that helps residents paint the outsides of their homes is set to reopen applications this fall, according to a city spokesperson. The city paused the Exterior Paint Program last year to figure out how to address concerns about it being slow and difficult to navigate. (Update: City officials initially said new applications would launch in June but a cyberattack caused a delay. It’s now closed.)
The Exterior Paint Program gives residents vouchers to purchase paint and supplies. Residents do not need to own their homes to be eligible.
When City Council relaunched the paint program in 2019, the goal was to paint 1,000 homes in its first two years. Signal Cleveland previously reported that only 36% – or 374 – of approved applicants finished painting their homes in 2020 and 2021.
Nearly five years since the program launched, the city has yet to meet its 1,000 homes goal. Slightly more than 500 homes have been repainted so far, according to public records reviewed by Signal Cleveland.
One of the main challenges for residents has been navigating labor costs not covered by the program. In 2022, council voted to give money to some applicants to cover labor costs.
Even with those tweaks, residents are struggling to complete the work. Last year, Council Member Rebecca Maurer criticized the program for repainting only 78 out of the 286 approved homes from 2022. That’s about 27% of approved residents who completed the program.
In 2023, the numbers fell to only 70 repainted homes. Only two received money for labor costs, the city’s finance director told council members during this year’s budget hearings.
Now, the city has another chance to prove to residents – and council members – that the paint program can work.
Chipping away at Cleveland’s Exterior Paint Program
Over the last several months, the city has been tinkering with the paint program, according to city spokesperson Tyler Sinclair. This included gathering feedback from residents and other stakeholders in the community to find the best path forward, he said.
One way that the city said it hopes to improve the program is with its rollout of a “universal application” for all home repair programs, Sinclair said. For example, instead of having to apply to each program, soon residents will be able to submit a single application to all of the city’s home repair programs.
The city’s home repair programs are overseen by the Department of Community Development, which is also responsible for managing programs such as the Senior Housing Assistance Program and Repair-a-Home.
Merging all home repair programs will make things simpler for applicants and more efficient for the city, said Sinclair. He added that the program will be “significantly revamped.”
The city wasn’t specific about what changes – beyond the universal application – people can expect from the relaunch of the paint program.
