Committee advances one-year extension and $1.42 million for Northpointe Transitional Housing

Chair Conwell moved a contract amendment Thursday to extend county funding and the term for Northpointe Transitional Housing and the committee approved sending the measure to the full council under second-reading suspension.

The amendment, read into the record as Resolution R2025-0080, would extend the county’s contract with Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons, doing business as Frontline Service, through Dec. 31, 2025, and add funds not to exceed $1,422,933 effective Jan. 1, 2025. Marcos Cortez of the Office of Homeless Services said the change is primarily a one-year time extension and additional operating funding.

Why it matters: Northpointe provides short-term emergency housing and supports intended to move adults and young adults into permanent housing and employment. Committee members emphasized maximizing bed availability during winter and asked for clearer timelines on repairs to the City of Cleveland–owned building at 1550 Superior Ave.

Frontline representative Shauna Gurley told the committee that after a recent tour the site’s usable capacity had increased to about 112 people but that the building contains 152 beds. “We were able to get about 6 more bids online. So now we're at the capacity to serve about a 112 persons at the building. However, our building is a 152 beds,” Gurley said, adding that the fourth floor was fully renovated while the second and third floors were still pending.

Committee members pressed for coordination with Cleveland officials to accelerate repairs. Conwell asked Frontline to contact Commissioner Marcia Garrett and other city contacts during Cleveland’s current budget hearings to identify when renovation work might be scheduled. Cortez said the city had recently approved a new funding source — a City of Cleveland CDBG grant — to assist operations.

County staff said the amendment does not change the scope or population served; it covers administrative, program and operational costs, and Frontline will continue to provide three meals a day and wraparound services. Staff acknowledged the county’s portion is the majority of the contract funding while the city’s contribution is smaller (described during the meeting as under $200,000). Members asked staff to provide a more detailed accounting of any remaining funding gap so the committee could consider further support.

The committee voted to advance R2025-0080 to the full council; the motion was moved by Chair Conwell and seconded by Schlepper and carried by voice vote.

What’s next: Staff said they expect to issue an RFP later in the year to reprocure services and will report back with a procurement timeline and any quantification of funding shortfalls. The committee requested updates on repair progress and agreed to stay engaged on oversight.