NORTHEAST OHIO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

OPERATIONS: - THE MOORE LOVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM HIT THE STREETS 20 TIMES WITH 126 VOLUNTEERS, WHO PROVIDED HUMANITARIAN AID AND BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY. - NEOCH STEPPED UP TO SUPPORT GRASSROOTS SEASONAL SHELTER OPERATIONS THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FISCAL SPONSORSHIP. - NEOCH HAS A NEW MERCHANDISE LINE FEATURING STYLISH, HIGH-QUALITY APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES THAT RAISE AWARENESS AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO END HOMELESSNESS IN NORTHEAST OHIO THROUGH FUNDRAISING THE DIRECTLY SUPPORTS OUR PROGRAMS. - NEOCH'S COOL NEW OFFICE REDESIGN, CRAFTED BY INSTAGRAM'S @ODETOANABODE, BLENDS MODERN STYLE WITH WARMTH, CREATING AN INSPIRING SPACE TO FURTHER OUR MISSION TO END HOMELESSNESS WHILE MAKING OUR STAFF FEEL MORE INSPIRED AND ENERGIZED IN THEIR DAILY WORK. EDUCATION: - WE PARTICIPATED IN OVER 50 SPEAKING EVENTS THAT INCLUDED PANEL PRESENTATIONS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, RADIO AND PODCASTS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. - NEOCH HOSTED ITS FIRST HOUSING JUSTICE SUMMIT, FEATURING AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AND AUTHOR OF DERELICT PARADISE: HOMELESSNESS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. - WE PUBLISHED 4 ISSUES WITH OVER 17,000 COPIES OF THE CLEVELAND STREET CHRONICLE, A NEWSPAPER THAT IS WRITTEN AND SOLD BY VENDORS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS. - OUR TEAM WORKED WITH OVER 100 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO DIVE INTO THE REALITIES OF POVERTY AND THE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS, SUCH AS SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE COMMODIFICATION OF HOUSING. - WE COLLABORATED ON RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH METROHEALTH, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. THE IDENTIFICATION CRISIS COLLABORATIVE (IDCC) - AFTER 20+ YEARS OF INDEPENDENT OPERATION, OUR PARTNERS AT THE IDCC COLLABORATIVE JOINED NEOCH IN 2024. THE IDCC, NOW A FULLY INTEGRATED NEOCH PROGRAM, PROVIDES DOCUMENTS FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOMES IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY. - IN 2024, THE IDCC PROVIDED 4,879 HOMELESS OR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS WITH 5,248 ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS, ENABLING ACCESS TO JOBS, HOUSING, MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION, VOTING, AND OTHER VITAL SERVICES. THESE DOCUMENTS INCLUDED BIRTH CERTIFICATES, DRIVER'S LICENSES, COMMERCIAL LICENSES, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES, AND GENDER CORRECTION DOCUMENTS. - OVER 100 IDCC-TRAINED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT 40 SITES COUNSELED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON OBTAINING ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS AT SHELTERS, OUTREACH CENTERS, REHAB AND REENTRY FACILITIES, AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCHES. - IDCC STAFF CONTINUED TO SERVE ON THE FOUNDING BOARD OF THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON IDS, ASSISTING A NATIONWIDE CONSORTIUM IN OBTAINING ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS AND ADVOCATING FOR EASIER ACCESS. OUTREACH: - 322 UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS ENGAGED IN NEOCH'S OUTREACH SERVICES. - 82 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED PERMANENT HOUSING THROUGH OUR STREET OUTREACH. - 181 PEOPLE RECEIVED CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES SUCH AS LINKAGE TO BEHAVIOR HEALTH SERVICES, ADDICTION SERVICES, AND EMERGENCY SHELTER. - NEOCH'S HOUSING CLINICS MADE ROUGHLY 928 CONNECTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO SAFE HOUSING THROUGH APPLICATIONS SUPPORT, HOUSING LOCATIONS, AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS. - OUR TEAM RESPONDED WITHIN 48 HOURS TO OVER 178 CALLS FROM THE COMMUNITY (CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, BUSINESSES, NEIGHBORS, ETC.) CONCERNING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. - WE HOSTED 20 CLEVELAND OUTREACH COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS TO COORDINATE AND IMPROVE SERVICES AMONG PARTNER PROVIDERS FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS. THIS INCLUDED SUPPORTING 12 VOLUNTEER EVENING OUTREACH GROUPS. - WE PARTNERED WITH MEDICAL AND BEHAVIOR HEALTH PROVIDERS TO DELIVER SERVICES DIRECTLY TO UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIPS WITH METROHEALTH AND THE CENTERS, AS WELL AS NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CLEVELAND CLINIC AND UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS. - WE PROVIDED SHORT-TERM SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR 50 PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS AND EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. THIS ALLOWED 31 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS TO ACCESS PERMANENT HOUSING. - NEOCH'S EXPERTISE AND ADVOCACY WORK HELPED LAUNCH THE CITY OF CLEVELAND'S HOME FOR EVERY NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, WHICH HOUSED 115 INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM. NEOCH IS A KEY PARTNER AND LEADS STREET OUTREACH EFFORTS IN THE INITIATIVE. ORGANIZING - NEOCH MOBILIZED THE COMMUNITY AND HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT DIRECTLY HELPED LEAD TO THE OPENING OF SEASONAL SHELTER BEFORE LIFE-THREATENING COLD WEATHER ARRIVED IN CLEVELAND. - WE CONTINUED BUILDING A LEADERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE GROUP TO ENSURE JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS LEAD THE CONVERSATION ON POLICY CHANGES AND ADVOCATE FOR FAIR CHANCE HOUSING. LEADERS MEET OVER 20 TIMES TO BUILD AND IMPLEMENT THE CAMPAIGN. - WE HOSTED 20 HOMELESS CONGRESS MEETINGS ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF CLEVELAND, WITH OVER 500 IMPACTED PEOPLE PARTICIPATING TO SHARE INFORMATION AND ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED POLICIES IN THE HOMELESS SERVICES SYSTEM. - WE CANVASSED 316 TIMES AS PART OF MAKE IT HOME CLEVELAND, A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO GIVING TENANTS LIVING IN TAX-FORFEITED PROPERTIES THE CHANCE TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AND RETAIN COMMUNITY CONTROL BEFORE THE HOUSE IS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE. - NEOCH ENGAGED TENANTS ACROSS NORTHEAST OHIO THROUGH KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS, COORDINATED PRESS RELEASES, AND FACILITATION OF MEETINGS WITH BUILDING OWNERSHIP. ADVOCACY: - WE HOSTED OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL TO REMEMBER OVER 80 FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO PASSED AWAY IN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY, AND TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY THAT NO ONE SHOULD DIE WITHOUT A HOME. - NEOCH REGISTERED UNHOUSED PEOPLE TO VOTE AND HOSTED NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY CARNIVAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEVELAND VOTES. - NEOCH PARTNERED WITH UNITED WAY AND LEGAL AID TO FURTHER THE REACH OF THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM BY CANVASSING OVER 1,300 HOUSEHOLDS FACING EVICTION AND CONNECTING THEM TO RESOURCES. - WE CONVENED 10 CUYAHOGA AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALLIANCE MEETINGS WITH PRESENTATIONS FROM NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEADERS. MOREOVER, WE DEVELOPED, DESIGNED AND SENT THE FIRST MONTHLY CAHA NEWSLETTER, "TO THE ROOT." - WE ADVOCATED FOR A CARE RESPONSE PROGRAM, PUSHING FOR A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD THROUGH ORGANIZING A CAMPAIGN, ATTENDING MEETINGS, AND SPEAKING TO THE NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.