Covered by Documenters Carolyn Cooper and Tim Zelina
Affordable housing: Cleveland City Council’s Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee advanced a proposal to give Habitat for Humanity $5 million to partially finance 50 houses across five wards (2, 4, 8, 11 and 15). Council Member Stephanie Howse suggested working with Habitat for Humanity, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority to look into allowing people to use Section 8 vouchers to help buy homes from organizations like Habitat for Humanity. She said many landlords refuse to rent to people who rely on Section 8 vouchers, so even renting is out of reach.
Landmark status: Legislation moved forward to remove the former juvenile justice center’s landmark status. The complex is located in the Central neighborhood. Removing its landmark status will allow the city to demolish the building and construct a new land bridge connecting Central to downtown. The freeway currently separates the two neighborhoods. Director of City Planning Joyce Huang said that tearing down the complex will save the city millions of dollars in maintenance costs.
‘Impossible to redevelop’: Huang told council members that developers said the former juvenile justice center would be almost impossible to redevelop. She provided a list of more than 20 proposals that came to that conclusion. She and Campus District Executive Director Mark Lammon added that many people in the neighborhood hate the building’s history of incarcerating children of color. Central residents and stakeholders who spoke at the meeting said they wanted something more beneficial to the community. They were split on whether a land bridge was the best option.
Read the Twitter thread by Documenter Tim Zelina:
What makes a home “accessible”?:
Home sweet accessible home: Tales to Demystify (Comic)
Comic creator John G explains what can make a home more – or less – accessible for a person who uses a wheelchair.
Giving the middle finger to inaccessible music venues:Tales to Demystify
Comic creator John G reflects on how his response to the lack of accessibility in clubs and music venues is different now than when he first started going to punk and underground shows and playing in bands.