West Cleveland News

The Cuyahoga County Land Bank Charities, in conjunction with partners Habitat for Humanity and the St. Luke's Foundation, have announced an ambitious plan to build or rehabilitate hundreds of houses over the next three years. The project includes plans for the construction of 55 new homes, 15 of which will be located in Mount Pleasant, along with extensive renovation of 79 existing homes.

The venture is part of a larger endeavor aimed at exploring Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant and Union-Miles neighborhoods through a housing project designed to spur development.

"Mount Pleasant has a number of positive resources and a lot of stakeholders there, and history that make it a great community, a great neighborhood to really try to build up, support and create synergy," said Gus Frangos, the president and general counsel of the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "There’s just a lot of land and a lot of opportunity. So we just really want to take that area and try to rejuvenate it, bring it back to some of the glory that it had years ago."

According to the Cuyahoga Land Bank, this initiative aligns with strategies geared towards enhancing housing safety and stability by improving access to affordable, high-quality housing. Additionally, it dovetails with Saint Luke's Foundation's Neighborhood of Choice strategy aimed at eliminating blight and enhancing aesthetics in the area. The involvement from Habitat for Humanity reinforces their commitment to promoting equity by ensuring that 30% subcontract work goes towards minority contractors - particularly those involved in critical home repair programs geared towards supporting BIPOC families on their path toward homeownership.

The housing initiative will run from Jun. 2023 until Jun. 2026. Funding for subsequent years is contingent on meeting previous year's goals as per grant application objectives - enhancing accountability while ensuring effective execution.