Council approves United Way-led tenant assistance program, adds quarterly reporting requirement

Cleveland City Council’s finance committee on an emergency vote approved ordinance 1197-2024 on a United Way-led tenant assistance program that will use a centralized 211 intake system, local mediators and legal referrals to respond to landlord-tenant disputes and related housing needs.

The program is structured as a roughly three-year initiative that uses 211 as the “front door” for calls, routes cases to partners including Cleveland Mediation Center, 5th Christian Church and legal aid tenant lines, and includes an evaluation partnership with Cleveland State University to track outcomes and identify which interventions help keep residents stably housed.

United Way of Greater Cleveland representatives told the committee that callers will reach a specialized IVR menu and a dedicated 211 navigator who will screen calls for geography, age and the nature of the problem before routing them to organizing, legal or emergency housing partners. "We will have a special call system, an IVR, and we already will have a specialist there who can focus on that call," the United Way representative said.

Council members pressed presenters on sustainability, data and political neutrality. Several members said they wanted metrics demonstrating the program’s effectiveness and an explicit fundraising strategy after the three-year period, noting that they did not expect further federal ARPA funding. Committee members also raised concerns that organizations funded to do community organizing have occasionally turned their messaging against elected council members; United Way representatives said they would use memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with partners to make the project’s resident-focused mission explicit.

Councilman Polensek offered an amendment requiring quarterly reports to council on the program’s interactions and award breakdowns; the amendment was seconded by Councilman Brian Casey and carried on a voice vote. The committee then approved ordinance 1197-2024 as amended.

The program replaces some functions left vacant after the Cleveland Tenants Organization ceased operations, and council members emphasized coordination with district offices so constituents know who to contact when a tenant-landlord problem arises.

Officials said Cleveland State University will perform ongoing evaluation of program data to identify which interventions reduce displacement and stabilize housing. No total award amount was specified in committee testimony.