Homelessness in Slavic Village raises questions at community meeting 

Note: Cleveland’s Ward 2 covers Union-Miles, Mill Creek Falls and a portion of Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood.

Power out at the Ward 2 Community Meeting

Just before the start time of the meeting (6 p.m.), there was a tornado warning. The power was out when I arrived at the location, Killingsworth Meeting Place, 4127 E. 131 St. But residents continued to filter in.

Naila Deskins, executive assistant to Council Member Kevin Bishop, was there around 5:45 p.m. Bishop arrived at about 6:15 p.m. and asked if attendees still wanted to meet, given the power outage and additional storms on the way. Residents decided that they would still like to meet. 

There was a series of speakers, followed by a Q&A with Bishop.

Resident Q&A

• Bishop asked for introductions from new attendees. Some attendees were new to the ward after the redistricting.

Concerns about people who are homeless

• A resident shared concern about Slavic Village, specifically at East 55th Street and Linton Avenue. A house was recently demolished and now someone is living there in a tent. The resident asked for the city’s “official policy on homeless people.”
• Bishop said the city has funding to pay private landlords to “house specific populations” to reduce encampments.
• “The folks that’s homeless, nine times out of 10 are homeless because they have a mental problem or a drug problem,” Bishop said, adding that those services must be addressed before they can “resume a normal life.” This is impacting the program’s success, as landlords are “backing out.”
• The resident asked if Bishop thinks there should be institutions for “housing these people.” Bishop said those models were run by the state and county, and it’s a difficult question for him to answer.
• Another resident asked if there are laws against homelessness or camping out. Bishop said if they’re not posing a danger to the public, it’s difficult for the police. “You just can’t arrest somebody just for not having a home,” he said.

Leaf pick up, curbs and sidewalks

• A resident lives on Grand Division Avenue (the other side of the street is Garfield Heights). They complained that the Garfield Heights side of the street has leaf collection but the Cleveland side doesn’t. Bishop said Cleveland’s leaf collection is only in “high generation areas” and said he was not sure if Grand Division Avenue is one of those areas. He also said the early snow limited the city’s ability to collect leaves, as the same trucks do snow plowing. The resident also expressed frustration about the lack of a curb in front of some houses on her street, including hers. Bishop said he would follow up with her.
• Another resident also complained about their lack of a curb after being promised one over three years. Bishops said that curbs are typically not replaced on residential streets when they’re repaved.
• There is a 50/50 program where the resident can go in with the city to replace sidewalks and curbs. Otherwise, the city is not replacing curbs on residential streets, Bishop said, adding that he’d ask the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects (MOCAP) to come out and look at special cases.
• A resident new to the area asked questions about the name of the building (Killingsworth). Bishop said the late Inez Killingsworth started Empowering and Supporting Ohio’s People and the local Union-Miles Development Corporation (now NuPoint CDC). 
• A resident thanked Bishop for following up on the cleanup of two vacant properties next to hers. 
• A resident asked for updates on Warsaw Park in Slavic Village. Bishop said Rebecca Maurer, the former council member who represented that area before the ward redistricting, pledged ward dollars and wanted a park organization to make recommendations to MOCAP and do participatory planning. MOCAP is in the planning stage, but there will be residential feedback periods. There is a park cleanup and meeting on April 11 that residents can attend to get involved.

Questions about cameras

• A resident mentioned that Bishop has previously said he would add security cameras in parks and speed tables on streets that don’t have them. Bishop said the Department of Public Safety and IT need to weigh in on that. He said the expanded ward includes more parks, so funding for cameras is the current barrier that he’s working on. Speed tables have been approved for streets that will be paved this year, as well as near schools and parks. Funding is finalized for those, but he is not sure of timing for installation. 
• A resident requested traffic calming measures at Farringdon Avenue and East 124th Street. 
• A resident asked about cameras on her specific street. Bishop said the safety department usually puts cameras on the main “corridors” and not on specific, interior streets. He said, “I don’t think that the city has the money to put cameras on all the side streets.”
• A resident asked about the difference between city/county/precinct issues when voting. Bishop encouraged everyone to look at their sample ballot on the Board of Elections site.
• A resident shared a concern about illegal dumping in the ward. Bishop said convictions are difficult in dumping cases, adding that it’s difficult to prove who does the dumping, even with vehicle information. The resident asked if it’s possible to share information about where residents can go to dump for free, perhaps via signage.

Ohio House of Representatives District 20 candidate

Mike Seals

• Democratic candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 20, a seat currently held by Terrence Upchurch.
• He spoke to his history as a ward leader, ward club president for Ward 7 (new ward 8), SEIU 1199 administrative organizer, and political field coordinator.
• He has previously worked on statewide anti-gerrymandering and raising the minimum wage initiatives.

Cleveland Division of Fire

Two firefighters: (The firefighters left before the end of the meeting, and I was unable to verify their names).

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• They shared information about:
  • A collaboration between the Red Cross and Cleveland Fire that will provide installation of bed shakers and smoke alarms at no cost for deaf/hard-of-hearing residents. Program details.
  • Tornadoes and flash floods safety tips.
  • Power outage traffic light safety tips.

Judge Anita Laster Mays

• Judge Anita Laster Mays, Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals.
• Running for reelection; no opponent for the May primary.
• Asked for votes in November after discussing her career history and said that she is from this neighborhood.

Cleveland Police Officer

Officer Carter — CPOP (Community & Problem-Oriented Policing), Fourth District

• Discussed the new nuisance law procedures and encouraged residents to make reports with video/photo evidence.
• A resident shared a concern and frustrations about loud music on his street that he said he’s been reporting for months. He said he can’t get a response from various police personnel. The officer followed up with him.
• A resident shared a concern about speeding cars in the area. Shared that she has been seeing more officers in that area. She asked about procedure around hostage situations, citing a recent situation in Slavic Village where SWAT had to break into the building with large equipment. The officer shared that SWAT and typical police procedures differ.

Cleveland Public Library

Tim Greenwood

• Manager of the East 131st Street branch of the Cleveland Public Library.
• He’s making the rounds to community events to meet neighbors and promote library events.

Suggested Reading

Homelessness in Slavic Village raises questions at community meeting 

by Cleveland Documenters April 17, 2026

Ohio Secretary of State candidate

Nate (no last name), a Cleveland physician, speaking for Dr. Bryan Hambley

• Hambley is running for Ohio Secretary of State.
• He is an oncologist in Cincinnati.
• Anti-gerrymandering messaging, pledge to take no corporate PAC money.
• A resident shared confusion over polling location changes and how to check voter rolls; Nate directed him to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. [Editor’s note: Here’s how to find your polling location.]

NuPoint Community Development Corp.

Laurice Kennedy Brown

• The organization offers business support, workshops, community events, community cleanups and block club engagement for neighborhood cleanups.
• Encouraged residents to stop by the office, 4127 E. 131st St., if they want to get involved.

Sandwiches, cookies, and beverages were then available for residents to take home. Meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.

These notes are by Documenter Julia Brookover. Documenter Tisha Barnes recorded audio.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.