Young Mothers of Cleveland founder urges council to expand shelter and housing options for mothers and children
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Summary
Linda Marie Howard, founder of Young Mothers of Cleveland, told the council the city lacks shelter capacity and urged more livable shelter and housing options for women and children, citing landlords who decline vouchers and the need for local placement sites.
Linda Marie Howard, founder of Young Mothers of Cleveland, told City Council she has lived experience with the city's shelter system and urged the council to prioritize housing and shelter for mothers and children rather than programs without housing placements.
"We could sit down and talk about programs...but we don't sit down and really talk about housing," Howard said during public comment. She said she places a kids' pantry inside a local recreation center to keep it open and described landlords who refuse Section 8 vouchers, leaving voucher-holders with limited housing options. "I have called every shelter in the world," she said, and urged the council to consider expanding shelters or creating more livable options so people displaced by demolition and redevelopment have somewhere to go.
Howard identified herself as unpaid, working multiple jobs, and representing the lived experience of young mothers. She asked the council to focus on practical housing solutions, including larger or improved shelters and alternatives so people forced out of housing by redevelopment have an option beyond temporary voucher distribution.
The transcript records her appeal but does not show a formal motion or immediate administrative response during the meeting.
