This project will address 3 major issues impacting East Cleveland today, (1) the lack of jobs and related training, (2) food insecurity and the lack of access to healthy food options, and (3) the lack of affordable new and renovated housing. We want to bring in new businesses and provide job training, we want to rebuild the local farmers' market so it can expand its services and provide more healthy food options, and we want to build/remodel homes to increase home ownership and population growth
East Cleveland, Ohio is ranked as America's 4th poorest city. The average annual income is $13,719. The median price of a home in East Cleveland is $58,500 and the median age of homes in the city is 74 years old. Since 1980, only 3.3% of the housing stock represents new construction. 38.4% of the homes are vacant and only 6.5% of those home are up for rent. Residents of East Cleveland have little access to healthy food options. There is only 1 grocery store within a mile of East Cleveland.
The A. M. Ward Business Co-op will have space for up to 18 new businesses. The goal is to provide employment opportunities to qualified residents of the community. The Coit Road Farmers' Market will address the food desert issue by not only providing a location that provides healthy food options, the farmers' market will also offer classes and demonstrations on healthy food preparation and consumption. We will purchase vacant lots and distressed properties to build new homes or renovate existing
New businesses will provide high paying jobs which will provide higher taxes to the community which will allow the city to provide more and better city services, access to healthy food and classes on living a healthy lifestyle will promote community health, and new and renovated homes will increase property values throughout the city, as well as stimulate population growth
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
