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Residents urge county action on HUD cuts, rising senior homelessness and food insecurity
Summary
Two public commenters told the council that federal cuts and administrative outages are worsening housing instability and senior hardship and urged the county to consider budget responses to shelter and food insecurity.
At the April 8 meeting of Cuyahoga County Council, public commenters raised concerns about housing instability, reduced federal support and the impact on seniors.
Renald (spelled in the record as Renald) Jones, who identified himself as ombudsman for the Black Environmental Leaders Association, thanked Councilmembers Turner and Simon and the environment and sustainability committee for considering ARPA funding for the Jacqueline Gillen Scholarship Celebration and said, "100% of the ARPA funds will be used for those scholarships." His remarks were framed as appreciation for the award and confirmation of intended use of ARPA funds for scholarship support.
A second commenter identifying only as Lou said the issue was "part 2" of remarks he made previously and warned of federal program disruptions. Lou said, "HUD also is chopped off already," and described increased shelter intakes, especially among seniors, saying "Our shelter beds are still very limited." He cited a recent Social Security Administration system crash that he said reduced staff and worsened seniors' ability to pay rent, and urged the council to consider the county's biannual budget to help with food and housing insecurity.
Council did not take formal action on those public comments during the meeting; the public-comment period concluded and the council proceeded to the consent and legislative docket.
