The Dream Neighborhood

BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY

Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy

International Newcomers Academy
Offers 19 different language services
Serves 23 nationalities
Only school with this model in
Northeast Ohio
After hours adult ESL courses
Central to our target area
Provides Stability immigrants and
refugees
Pre-K to 12th grade

Clark-Fulton and Stockyard Neighborhoods

Community Assets:

850 manufacturing jobs

2nd district police department

Multiple schools, private and public

Clark Recreation Center & Salvation Army

Affordable housing

Affordable commercial space

Exciting Developments
La Villa
Hildebrandt
Gypsy Brewery

Community organizations

Ward 14 and 15 received 33 Refugee families in 2014

Access to Public Transportation:

Clark Avenue:
15 east and west bound stops on Clark
9 within the Dream Neighborhood
Currently hosts routes 45, 45A, and 21
Provides connections to routes:
79A and B
20
31
51

Rapid Station located on W 65th and Lorain

1.3 miles from Thomas Jefferson

The Plan
Thomas Jefferson as the center of a community that welcomes refugees
3 Elements
Social Services and Community Inclusion
Refugee Related Organizations
Medical Organization
Social Services

Residents
Housing
Create housing opportunities for refugees
Reduce vacancy of existing housing stock
Economic Development
Low interest loans for new small businesses
Directly addressing vacant commercial space

Refugee Garden

Social Services Refugee Resettlement

Refugee service related non profits involved in the creation of this neighborhood
Catholic Charities, ISC, and U.S. Together at the table
Working with landlords to find decent and safe housing
Sponsoring a Work Group to address issues and needs
Creating an opportunity for collaboration with other organizations
Working to create an environment that supports the mission of refugee
resettlement organizations

Social Services Providing basic needs

The Clark Recreation Center as a community Center for
Providing community supporting services
English as a Second Language
Health and Wellness Promotion
Educational Services
Financial Literacy

Ad Hoc Training services

Event and gathering space

MetroHealth and NFP are

participating in providing services
Engaging RTA to increase public transportation

Connecting Residents with Newcomers

Inclusion of residents in community meetings
Inclusion of refugees and residents
International Neighborhood Welcoming Wagon
Engagement with:
West 58th Street church of god
St. Roccos

POPCE
St. Bonafice
Gardening Opportunities
10 existing Gardens
150 possible gardens and side lot expansions

Housing Within
Mile of
Thomas Jefferson
145 vacant properties
57 active Condemnations
53 active foreclosures

Vacant and Condemned Properties Around Thomas Jefferson

Housing Rehabilitation
Since 2011, DSCDO and SCFBCDO have rehabbed 178 vacant homes
Goals:
Work with City and private owners to demolish 57 homes
Acquire 20 vacant properties for rehabilitation
Proposed Housing Program:
Developers will include both private and non-profit developers

Each property will be transferred to prospective developers (including non-profits)

through a competitive bidding process
Developers will have 270 days to rehab the property
A restrictive covenant on the deed will require property owner to market units to
refugee resettlement organizations.

Refugee resettlement organizations will provide services

to help landlords and tenants communicate more clearly

Demolition Strategy
Demolition is key to stabilizing housing conditions
As of June, 42 properties have been demolished in Ward 14
13 Properties within the Dream Neighborhood
Methods to Achieve Demolition:
Working with Building and Housing to prioritize demolitions
County Land Bank Demolitions

Private Demolitions (Code Enforcement)

Banks, LLCs, and Individuals

Economic Development
Clark Avenue
10 Vacant Commercial Storefronts
Vacant ground floor local retail
40,000 sq. ft.

Non-ground floor vacant space

50,000 sq. ft.

What we want to see:

Day Cares
Grocery Store
Restaurants

Coffee Shops
Bike Shop / Co-op

Refugee Entrepreneurs
According to a study released in 2012
Refugees are likely to start a business that is successful
In the past decade, refugees have started 38 local businesses
Since 2002, refugees have contributed $45 million to our local economy
Refugees give a return on investment that is greater than 10:1 to the local economy
Local economical impact study can be found at rsccleveland.org

According to Brian Upton:

"They are not takers. They are not a drain on our community. They are very entrepreneurial.

Economic Development
City of Cleveland and ECDI
The City of Cleveland has pledged $150,000
This money will be used through ECDI
Low interest loans for small businesses
Used in the Dream Neighborhood

Job Training Opportunities

Contractors
Connecting residents with local businesses

Training organizations getting involved with refugees

Cleveland 2020 Plan

Housing Goals:
Decent and Affordable Housing
Creation of affordable DSS rental units for refugees and other residents

Rehabilitation
Restoring a minimum of 20 homes to productive use

Code Enforcement
Completion of 2 Concentrated Inspection Areas and using code enforcement to increase compliance
Focus is on absentee landlords while offering assistance and connecting residents with resources

Competitive Places
Building upon the diversity of an area and the location of a multi-lingual school to support refugees

This will set the Clark-Fulton and Stockyard neighborhood apart from any other Neighborhood in NEO and spur development

Cleveland 2020 Plan

Economic Development
Quality of Life
Clark avenue new businesses will support the community

Retail
Niche Marketing
Focus on diversity of neighborhood and diversity of incoming refugees
La Borincana

Preservation
Economic Reuse
Clark Rec
Ceska Hall
Joseph & Feiss Building

Questions?