Bridgette Smith Jackson, a resident of East Cleveland, told Cleveland City Council that the June 23 explosion at Rainbow Terrace Apartments left one person dead, multiple children seriously injured and dozens of families displaced and called for a full, transparent response. "On Monday, June 23, tragedy struck at Rainbow Terrace Apartments. Cordell Sheffield lost his life. 2 children were hospitalized, collectively undergoing nearly 20 surgeries, and 1 still remain hospitalized today. Over 44 families, more than 150 people were displaced and left without stable homes," Smith Jackson said during public comment.

The speaker said displaced families have been moved among temporary housing, hotels and shelters with no clear timeline for stable rehousing and described repeated, confusing contact with multiple agencies. "This crisis exposes a bigger issue here in Cleveland," she told council, and asked the city to "provide a full update in total transparency about the Rainbow Terrace explosion, deliver proof of comprehensive testing of the site, air, pipes, and structural safety for the remaining" residents.

Smith Jackson contrasted the city’s response at Rainbow Terrace with what she described as faster public communications and inspections after a separate industrial explosion that occurred about a week later. "Why is an industrial site treated with more urgency and transparency than the lives of over ... families?" she asked, noting families and children remain in limbo while they navigate agencies and paperwork.

Her remarks described trauma among children and families and urged the city to coordinate an emergency response team, conduct comprehensive testing of air and infrastructure at the site, and provide clear timelines for rehousing and services. She said residents remain scattered and "retraumatized by the system itself, left to prove their need over and over again while their lives remain in limbo."

The comments were part of the public-comment portion of the council meeting; Smith Jackson requested the mayor, council and relevant departments provide a public report and testing results and to prevent residents from being left without coordinated services. The speaker provided several numerical figures during testimony — including counts of displaced families and people and references to the number of remaining households on the site — that varied in her remarks. The council did not make a public response or take a formal vote during the public-comment period recorded in the transcript.

The speaker also asked the city to provide a clear timeline for when families would receive stable housing and to publish testing and inspection results for the site so residents can be reassured their homes and neighborhood are safe.

Council President Griffin recessed the meeting for later business; the transcript does not show any immediate, formal staff response or an adopted motion tied to Smith Jackson’s requests during the recorded session.