FAMICOS FOUNDATION

FAMICOS FOUNDATION ORGANIZATIONAL NARRATIVE FAMICOS FOUNDATION IS ONE OF CLEVELAND'S OLDEST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS (CDC), FOUNDED IN 1969 BY SISTER HENRIETTA GORRES, CSA SHORTLY AFTER THE HOUGH RIOTS AND INCORPORATED IN 1970. THE NAME FAMICOS COMES FROM "FAMILIES IN COOPERATION", AS SR. HENRIETTA BELIEVED THAT LASTING NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE COULD ONLY COME FROM THE RESIDENT FAMILIES WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD CHANGE. FAMICOS HAS A STAFF OF 55 EMPLOYEES WORKING ACROSS NINE DEPARTMENTS AND FOUR LINES OF BUSINESS. WITH A MISSION OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN GREATER CLEVELAND THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INTEGRATED SOCIAL SERVICES, FAMICOS IS PROMINENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES. IN 2014, FAMICOS FOUNDATION BECAME A CHARTER MEMBER OF NEIGHBORWORKS AMERICA (NWA), A NETWORK OF EXCELLENCE IN NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, WITH 250 CHARTERED MEMBERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PUERTO RICO AND GUAM. AS A MEMBER OF NWA, FAMICOS FOUNDATION IS INVOLVED IN A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO CREATE BLACK WEALTH THROUGH COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT, HOUSING EMPOWERMENT AND REAL ESTATE EMPOWERMENT. FAMICOS FOUNDATION IS A STATE, COUNTY AND CITY CHDO AND SERVES FIVE COUNTIES NAMELY; CUYAHOGA, LAKE, GEAUGA, PORTAGE, AND MEDINA COUNTIES. FAMICOS FOUNDATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE FROM THESE FIVE COUNTIES WITH THE MAJORITY FROM CUYAHOGA COUNTY, MAINLY THE CITY OF CLEVELAND. FAMICOS FOUNDATION OWNS AND / OR MANAGES 24 PARTNERSHIPS OR 850 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE AND MIXED-INCOME HOUSING FOR FAMILIES, SENIORS AND FORMERLY CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. FAMICOS SIGNATURE MARKET RATE HOMES ARE LOCATED ON E. 105TH STREET WITHIN A DEVELOPMENT CALLED HERITAGE LANE. HERITAGE LANE CONSISTS OF THIRTEEN HISTORIC DUPLEXES CONVERTED TO SINGLE UNITS AND SOLD AT 300,000.00 AND ABOVE TO OWNER OCCUPANTS. HERITAGE LANE HAS HELPED TO BOOST HOME PRICES IN CREATING STRONG HOUSING MARKET IN GLENVILLE AND NEIGHBORING HOUGH. IN 2013, FAMICOS COMPLETED THE DOAN CLASSROOM APARTMENTS (13 MILLION) AND THE UNIVERSITY TOWERS APARTMENTS (27, MILLION). IN 2016, FAMICOS COMPLETED A SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION OF NOTRE DAME APARTMENTS (10.6 MILLION) USING THE 9% LIHTC FUNDING PROGRAM. IN 2018, FAMICOS RENOVATED THE MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING ON E 105 ST TO BECOME A MIXED-USE BUILDING WITH 12 LIVING UNITS ABOVE A COMMERCIAL SPACE. IN 2021, FAMICOS COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION AND LEASE UP OF 30 SINGLE-FAMILY SCATTERED SITE HOUSING UNITS USING THE 9% LIHTC FUNDING IN A PROJECT CALLED CIRCLE NORTH HOMES. IN 2022, FAMICOS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL CREDITS TO CONSTRUCT 40 SINGLE-FAMILY SCATTERED SITE HOUSING UNITS USING 9% FUNDING IN A PROJECT CALLED HENRIETTA HOMES LP IN THE HOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD. THESE UNITS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF 2024. A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE FIRST FOUR COMPLETED UNITS TOOK PLACE ON JUNE 21, 2024. IN ADDITION TO ITS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND REAL ESTATE LINES OF BUSINESS, FAMICOS FOUNDATION HAS TWO ADDITIONAL LINES OF BUSINESS: COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ENGAGEMENT TO ENGAGE AND PROVIDE RESIDENT SERVICES (CB & E) AND HOMEOWNERSHIP RESOURCE CENTER (HRC) TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL COACHING, CREDIT AND WEALTH BUILDING, HOME BUYER EDUCATION, AND HOUSING STABILITY COUNSELING AND ADVOCACY SERVICES TO CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE TAX LAB IS PART OF THE EITC CUYAHOGA COALITION AND HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SITE IN THE COUNTY, PREPARING ALMOST 2,000 TAX RETURNS FOR LOW- INCOME WORKING FAMILIES FREE OF CHARGE IN 2023. THE FAMICOS CARES TEAM IS A LEGAL WORKS PROGRAM ASSISTS INDIVIDUALS WITH MINOR MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES AND OUTSTANDING WARRANTS THROUGH FREE RECORDS EXPUNGEMENT SERVICES. SINCE 2019 TO DATE, LEGAL WORKS SEALED OVER 2000 RECORDS, ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO GET BETTER JOBS AND MORE CHOICES IN LIFE. FAMICOS HAS EXPANDED ITS OWN HOME REPAIR PROGRAM TO ASSIST LOW-INCOME SENIORS, DISABLED PERSONS, AND SINGLE- MOTHERS TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THEIR HOMES SAFELY AND FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS TO "AGE IN PLACE". IN 2023, FAMICOS REPAIRED 55 HOMES OWNED BY SENIORS AND DISABLED PERSONS ACROSS FOUR DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS OF GLENVILLE, HOUGH, ST. CLAIR SUPERIOR AND LEE HARVARD. FAMICOS CB&E DEPARTMENT ALSO OFFERS COMPUTER CLASSES, AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORIALS AND MENTORING FOR THE YOUTH AS WELL AS SUMMER EMPLOYMENT AND RESOURCE FAIRS. IN 2020, FAMICOS WAS ONE OF EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY TO BE AWARDED AN URBAN AGRICULTURE GRANT FROM THE USDA. OUR COMMUNITY PRODUCE GARDENS PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES, FOOD FOR FAMILIES WHO GROW THERE, PRODUCE TO BE SOLD AT OUR FARMER'S MARKET AND PRODUCE FOR SCHOOL PANTRIES. FAMICOS' COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS ALSO EVIDENT IN OUR CLIMATE RESILIENCY WORK, MORE SPECIFICALLY RAIN BARREL, COMPOSTING, RECYCLING, TREE PLANTING, WALKING, BIKING AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS. AT FAMICOS FOUNDATION, WE PLACE HIGH PRIORITY ON YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT. OUR EMPHASIS ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT MADE FAMICOS A PERFECT FISCAL AGENT PARTNER FOR MYCOM, A NON-PROFIT THAT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO YOUTH IN OVER 20 GREATER CLEVELAND COMMUNITIES. MYCOM ASSISTS YOUTH TO CONNECT, NAVIGATE AND BE PRODUCTIVE DURING OUT OF SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAMMING SUCH AS OUR YOUTH LANDSCAPING PROGRAM EMPLOYING MORE THAN 40 YOUTH EVERY YEAR. FAMICOS FOUNDATION HAS THE ABILITY TO COMPLETE PROJECTS AND IS A KEY STAKEHOLDER IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLEVELAND'S EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS. FAMICOS FOUNDATION DEVELOPED A NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PLAN, MY GLENVILLE PLAN, FOR GLENVILLE IN 2017, ADOPTED BY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION IN JULY OF 2017. THE MY GLENVILLE PLAN SET THE ROAD MAP FOR ALL THE WORK HAPPENING IN GLENVILLE ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF SUPERIOR TO INCLUDE THE MAYOR'S NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATIVE INITIATIVE (MNTI) EARMARKING UP TO 60 MILLION IN PUBLIC/PRIVATE INVESTMENTS FOR CATALYTIC PROJECTS. A 63 UNIT MIXED USE APARTMENT BUILDING, GLEN VILLAGE, THAT INCLUDED SEVEN INCUBATED WHOLLY OWNED AFRICAN AMERICAN START-UP BUSINESSES WERE DEVELOPED IN DECEMBER 2019 AS WELL AS TWO VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AND CUYAHOGA COUNTY'S FISHER HOUSE CONSISTING OF 32 HOUSING UNITS. OTHER PROJECTS COMPLETED ON E. 105TH STREET ARE THE MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING (THE MADISON) WITH TWELVE APARTMENT UNITS AND A STREET LEVEL COMMERCIAL SPACE, A REPURPOSED DAY CARE CENTER BUILDING CURRENTLY HOME TO THE ARTS INSPIRED LEARNING FOR CHILDREN. FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE GLENVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, FAMICOS HAS CREATED SIMILAR PLAN FOR HOUGH, ST CLAIR - SUPERIOR, AND ROCKEFELLER PARK.