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Landlord told council Home for Every Neighbor payments stopped; seeks public hearing
Summary
A participating landlord, Clarissa Foster, told council she is owed roughly $9,400 in January rent and about $10,700 in unreimbursed repair bills under the 'Home for Every Neighbor' program and requested a public hearing to review program administration and payments.
Clarissa Foster, owner of Mastermind Your Business LLC and a landlord in the city's Home for Every Neighbor (H4EN) program, told Cleveland City Council on Jan. 12 that payments and reimbursements from the program stopped without notice.
Foster said her firm managed nearly 60 units for H4EN participants and that early guarantees of rent payments, damage reimbursements and wraparound services were initially fulfilled but later became "inconsistent and unaccountable." She told council that, despite active month‑to‑month leases, the program stopped paying rent and left landlords with unpaid invoices. Foster gave approximate figures: about $9,400 in unpaid rent for January and roughly $10,700 in unreimbursed repair bills dating to mid‑2025.
Foster asked the mayor's office and county officials to hold a public hearing that includes H4EN program leadership and participating landlords to examine how funds are administered and why payments stopped. She said policies were applied inconsistently and that participants' rents were terminated in some cases without notice while others continued to receive payments.
Council president and staff did not announce a next step on the floor at the time; Councilman Harsh was asked to follow up informally with Foster. The council did not take an immediate vote or adopt any formal oversight motion during the meeting.
Foster concluded by saying she would remain at the meeting until the end and pressed for accountability, calling for program changes to restore consistency and transparency to H4EN operations.
What this means: Participating private landlords report arrears and unreimbursed repairs tied to the H4EN homelessness‑response program, and a stakeholder is requesting a public hearing and written follow up from the administration. Councilmembers acknowledged the concern and indicated staff follow up would be appropriate.
