Cleveland council hears broad support for Neighborhood Development Fund, moves to advance ordinance 113-2025

Council President Blaine Griffin and members of Cleveland City Council heard extended public comment on a proposed Neighborhood Development Fund ordinance, with multiple community development corporation leaders urging the city to replace parts of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding model with a locally controlled, flexible revenue source.

The neighborhood development legislation appears as Ordinance 113-2025 on the council docket. Supporters argued the change would allow CDCs to receive predictable operational funding and pursue a wider set of neighborhood activities without the federal CDBG requirement that eligible service areas meet a 51% poverty threshold.

"Currently, about half of my operating budget comes from the city of Cleveland sourced through federal community development block grants or CDBG funds," said David Robinson, executive director of West Park CAMS Neighborhood Development. Robinson told the council that the HUD poverty threshold rule can penalize CDCs that succeed at reducing neighborhood poverty: "If a CDC like mine does its job, if we attract investment, if we support residential needs, grow small businesses, and help reduce poverty, we actually risk losing the very funding that makes that success possible."

John Analefo, executive director of Famicos Foundation, told the council the existing reimbursement model is slow and onerous and urged a replacement funding stream: "The proposed new development fund will create trust between…