The Cuyahoga County Council convened over several weeks to discuss the 2020-2021 biennial budget. The hearings took place over three days and featured testimony and presentations from county health and human services leaders. In this review, we will cover some of the presentations, as well as the questions that followed from county council. The committee...
Category: Blog
Post
Fact Sheet on Federal Proposal to Cut SNAP Benefit Levels in Ohio by Reducing the Standard Utility Allowance
By: Rachel Cahill Consultant for Cuyahoga County’s Benefits Access Partnership Background On October 3, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a proposed rule that would impose a standardized methodology for calculating the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) for SNAP.[1] The SUA plays an important role determining a household’s total shelter expenses, which in turn, significantly...
Post
Harm reduction, drug users’ health take center stage at state HIV planning meeting
This month, the HIV, STI & Viral Hepatitis Interventions and Treatment Section of the Ohio Department of Health’s Office of Health Improvement and Wellness held its Combined Community Planning Group (CCPG) meeting. CCPG is a quarterly meeting of health service providers, community members, community-based organizations and other stakeholders who work across the HIV continuum –...
Post
Levy increase on the ballot next year
Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and County Council President Dan Brady announced that the county will seek to put an eight-year, 4.7 mill levy on the March 17, 2020 ballot. If passed, the county could have two similar-size health and human services levies that would alternate every four years. Currently, the county has a 3.9...
Post
AIDS Funding Collaborative announces 2019 grants
In October the AIDS Funding Collaborative (AFC) awarded $361,012 in grants to six Cuyahoga County organizations that will use the funds for HIV/AIDS-related service provision and prevention programming. Throughout its 25-year history, the AFC has invested nearly $13 million to support HIV/AIDS-related services, awareness activities and prevention efforts in Cuyahoga County. The AFC called for...
Post
Ambulance trouble in Mahoning County: Behind a story funded by a Community Solutions journalism grant
By: Jess Hardin HHS Reporting Grant winner I first learned that ambulance service in the Mahoning Valley was in trouble while writing a routine story about a levy on the ballot in one of the communities I covered for The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio’s daily newspaper. Since completing the story, I have heard from paramedics...
Post
The Council on Older Persons advocates, leads on senior issues
The Council on Older Persons (COOP) has been a standing committee of The Center for Community Solutions for more than 70 years. As we look back at 2019, COOP continues to distinguish itself as a leading destination for information about senior issues, and a vocal advocate for local seniors. Under the leadership of outgoing COOP...
Post
Ohio latest state to tackle economics of menstruation
In a previous piece, I briefly described how the passage of House Bill 19, which exempts all feminine hygiene products from sales and use taxes, would benefit both Ohio women who are incarcerated and local governments by allowing county sheriffs to purchase feminine hygiene products tax free. Feminine hygiene products are essential to the health...
Post
Election Update: Ohio voters overwhelmingly approve health and social service levies. All but 2 Pass!
Ohio voters in communities across the state overwhelmingly approved renewals, replacements and increases of property tax levies that support health and social services. Few health and social service levy contests were even close, and in many cases 75 percent of voters cast their ballots in favor of the levies. Community Solutions compiled results by examining...