This week marks the Juneteenth holiday. In honor of this important day in American history, several Community Solutions staff members have written about the history of Juneteenth, and every day this week we will share posts about the holiday, the lasting impact of slavery and what structural racism means for Black Americans to this day. Read...
Author: William Tarter, Jr.
June 1, 2021
Federal aid through the American Rescue Plan Act begins to take shape
Throughout the past year, The Center for Community Solutions has written about the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed in March 2020 to aid the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed in March 2021, was meant to be a supportive catalyst for America’s...
May 24, 2021
County Executive delivers State of the County address amidst recovery
The 2021 Cuyahoga County State of the County speech was sure to be memorable due to the pandemic and its effect on county residents and the economy. That was indeed the case, as Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish presented the first-ever virtual State of the County address. …the county devoted $20 million towards eviction protection...
April 19, 2021
Cuyahoga County HHSA Committee passes two contracts, hears update on vaccine rollout
The Cuyahoga County Health, Human Services and Aging (HHSA) Committee met to consider two contracts, one related to transportation and the other for homeless services at its March 31 meeting. The first contract was awarded to AmeriCab, in an amount not-to-exceed $8 million for non-emergency transportation services for Medicaid-eligible individuals. The contract began on March...
April 19, 2021
Public transit funding, cut in initial DeWine proposal, restored by General Assembly
The State of Ohio’s transportation budget for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 is now complete. Transportation is a vital part of the social determinants of health, as it plays a critical role in access to jobs, health care, and allows for independent living and mobility. As the state ages, transportation will become an increasingly important...
March 29, 2021
Cuyahoga County HHSA Committee approves homeless services contracts
The Cuyahoga County Council Health, Human Services and Aging Committee had a meeting on March 17 where it heard authorization requests for five contracts, and one presentation from the Cuyahoga County Office of Re-entry. The first contract was for $870,271 with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD), which runs from January 1, 2021...
March 12, 2021
HHSA Committee concludes final contract year of former Tapestry program, hears update on May Dugan Center and Diversion Center plans
The Cuyahoga County Health, Human Services and Aging committee heard several important items at its March 3 meeting. The first item was a contract extension, another was a presentation from the May Dugan Center, and finally, an update on the Cuyahoga County Opioid Mitigation Fund. The first item was the final extension of a master...
December 21, 2020
Council on Older Persons Year in Review: A constant advocate for seniors in 2020
The Council on Older Persons (COOP) has been a standing committee of The Center for Community Solutions for more than 70 years. Each year brings new faces, new challenges and new opportunities. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year was no exception. Under the leadership of Chair Stacey O’Brien and Vice Chair Bert Rahl,...
December 7, 2020
Cuyahoga County Executive and Council to spend remaining CARES Act dollars
A few weeks ago, Community Solutions wrote about the county’s proposed plan to spend $100 million in CARES Act funds, as well as that the county still had some undesignated dollars remaining. The Budish administration proposed the county take advantage of some new guidance issued by the Treasury Department, which permitted CARES Act dollars to...
October 23, 2020
Budish administration makes major decision on remaining $100 million of CARES Act funds
In the spring, Cuyahoga County received $215 million in federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. These dollars were a part of a $2.2 trillion overall relief package passed by Congress and signed by the president. The dollars came with strict language and guidance from...