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Committee advances $500,000 award request for freestanding birth center to address maternal and infant health
Summary
Birthing Beautiful Communities asked the committee to forward a request for up to $500,000 from the Community Development Fund toward a $15 million freestanding birth center in Cuyahoga County; the nonprofit reported more than $7 million raised and a pending underwriting process for a proposed $2 million county loan.
Birthing Beautiful Communities asked the Cuyahoga County Community Development and Housing Committee to forward a request for up to $500,000 to support construction of a freestanding birth center designed to reduce interventions and improve maternal and infant outcomes.
Jasmine Long, president and CEO, described the center as a patient‑centered facility staffed by certified nurse midwives and registered nurses that will include four birthing suites, two exam rooms and community space for training and wraparound services. She said the organization has raised a little over $7,000,000 from foundations, governments and private donors and is pursuing New Markets Tax Credit financing; the total project cost is estimated at $15,000,000.
Long said the organization currently serves about 895 families and expects to serve roughly 1,000 families in the first year of full operation with 50–75 births annually; she also described behavioral health, nutrition and education wraparound services and a capital campaign that includes plans for a $3,000,000 endowment for long‑term sustainability. Long said Birthing Beautiful Communities is in underwriting for a possible $2,000,000 county loan that would support the project’s financing package.
Council members raised questions about reporting from external outlets concerning pregnancy outcomes in jails; Long said she had been contacted for comment on outside reporting and that her organization serves people in the jail system but had not observed or been able to confirm the specific claims in that reporting and would follow up. Members also discussed transfer agreements, clinical partnerships and plans to close New Markets Tax Credits within weeks to lock in prices.
The chair recommended three readings and the committee voted to forward Resolution 20250174 to the next council meeting for further consideration.
What happens next: The committee forwarded the request; county loan underwriting (if approved) and closing of New Markets Tax Credits are among the financing steps the organization expects to complete before construction.
