On behalf of Friendly Inn Settlement, East End Neighborhood House, West Side Community House, University Settlement, and Lexington-Bell Community Center we ask you to strengthen the neighborhood institutions that help Cleveland and Cuyahoga County residents build stable lives.
For generations, our settlement houses have provided childcare, youth development, family support, senior programming, food assistance, and connections to essential resources.
Communities rely on trusted partners to help navigate challenges involving poverty, housing, health, and neighborhood safety.
Increasing demand
Families face rising costs for food, utilities, transportation, childcare, and housing. Community violence and barriers to mental health and substance use treatment compound these pressures. Residents often need several services at once, requiring coordinated support rather than isolated referrals.
Capacity and financial impact
Funding uncertainty, restrictive contracts, reimbursement requirements, and rising operating costs strain our capacity.
Competitive compensation, insurance, aging facilities, and compliance obligations place additional demands on limited budgets.
East End Neighborhood House faces the potential loss of $461,569 in county funding supporting family and senior services that reach approximately 400 families and more than 250 older adults annually. West Side Community House faces a $330,000 funding reduction affecting two major programs serving approximately 500 families and 150 seniors.
These losses threaten service availability and place added pressure on other community providers and public systems.
Recommendations
- Strengthen sustainability. Expand flexible, multiyear support that recognizes staffing, facilities, transportation, and service coordination costs.
- Improve administration. Simplify compatible grant applications and reporting requirements, streamline reimbursement, and establish reliable payment timelines.
- Support the workforce. Develop paid training and career pathways that help neighborhood organizations recruit and retain qualified staff.
- Coordinate prevention and care. Connect youth development and violence prevention with accessible behavioral health services, food assistance workforce opportunities, and housing stabilization.
- Include community voices. Engage settlement houses and residents in identifying barriers, shaping policy, and evaluating practical improvements.
We invite each candidate to a nonpartisan meeting or community visit to hear directly from residents and organizations. Our purpose is constructive dialogue and partnership.
Together, we can sustain essential services and help Ohio families and neighborhoods thrive.
Sincerely,
Yolanda Y. Armstrong, MSSA, LSW, President & Chief Executive Officer, Friendly Inn Settlement, Inc.
Atunyese Vanessa Herron, MBA, President & CEO, East End Neighborhood House
Rachelle Milner, MSSA, LISW-S, BCCC, Executive Director, West Side Community House
Tracey N. Mason, Interim Executive Director, University Settlement
Lu Anne Peters, Executive Director, Lexington-Bell Community Center
