The City's analysis found several key issues affecting residents:

• Housing costs are rising faster than many household incomes. Many Cleveland families spend too much of their income on housing, especially renters. When housing costs become too high, families often have to cut back on food, healthcare, transportation, or other necessities. Additionally, Cleveland needs better access to housing for seniors and people with disabilities. 
   
• Affordable housing is in short supply. There are not enough homes that low-income residents can afford, making it harder for people to remain in their neighborhoods and find stable housing.
   
• Many homes are old and need repairs. Because most of Cleveland's housing was built decades ago, many homes require ongoing maintenance, repairs, and lead-safe improvements.
   
• Homelessness remains a serious concern. Families, veterans, youth, and individuals continue to experience homelessness, and many more are at risk because of rising housing costs.
   
• Neighborhood conditions vary across the city. Some neighborhoods are growing while others continue to experience population loss, vacant properties, and higher poverty rates.

Other needs we heard include infrastructure improvements (like streets and sidewalks), and increased access to programs that improve financial stability for residents and neighborhoods.

To help shape Cleveland's 2026–2030 HUD Consolidated Plan, the Department of Community Development held conversations to hear directly from residents about their priorities for housing and neighborhood investment.  

Resident feedback we heard most during the 2026 engagement process includes:

• Top priorities of preventing homelessness and increasing the accessibility of affordable housing
   
• Concern about rising housing costs and deteriorating housing conditions
   
• Frustrations about absentee landlords and lack of accountability for poorly maintained properties
   
• Beliefs that the City can do more to return vacant land and properties to productive neighborhood use
   
• The need to preserve existing homeownership opportunities, improve access to lending and financial resources (including home repair programs), and provide financial education
   
• A desire for increased investment in neighborhood infrastructure, including sidewalks, streets, parks, transit access, community gardens, and support for local businesses
   
• The importance of fair housing protections, stronger tenant protections, and additional support for residents facing eviction or homelessness
   
• A desire for measurable progress and greater transparency from the City
   
• An appetite for continued opportunities to help shape the City's housing and community development.

If you’d like to join future conversations about how we allocate these federal dollars in Cleveland neighborhoods, please sign up for our Public Engagement Email List. 

The Citizen Participation Plan, detailed in pages 27-28 of the Consolidated Plan and summarized below, explains how Cleveland residents can help shape decisions about how federal housing and community development funds are spent. It is designed to ensure that all residents, especially those with low and moderate incomes, have meaningful opportunities to participate in planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs funded through these grants.

The Department is committed to improving citizen participation in the 5-year plan.  As a result, we have developed a new Citizen Participation Plan.

Through this plan, we will:

• Provide multiple ways for residents to stay informed and engaged, including public workshops, neighborhood meetings, online discussions, and opportunities to submit comments by phone, email, mail, or in person
   
• Publicize annual opportunities for residents to review and comment on the proposed Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, and the City's annual performance report (known as the CAPER) before they are submitted to HUD
   
• Continue community engagement throughout the year through regular meetings with neighborhood organizations, housing partners, advisory boards, and residents
   
• Make planning documents publicly available, provide at least 30 days for public review, and respond in writing as necessary to written comments
   
• Give public notices 10 days in advance of meetings
   
• Keep meetings accessible to people with disabilities and provide translation or interpretation services when needed

If you'd like to provide comments on the plan, which you can read here, please email CDpubliccomment@clevelandohio.gov.   

Or, to submit via US Mail, please use the following address: 

City of Cleveland Department of Community Development
ATTN: Compliance Department    
601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 320     
Cleveland, OH 44114     
 
For questions about the plan or our engagement process, reach out to the above email or call us at 216-664-4000.

The City's goal is to invest federal funds where they can make the greatest difference by preventing displacement and homelessness, expanding opportunity for historically underserved residents, and helping Clevelanders build safe and thriving communities

Preserve and create affordable housing

• Repair existing homes
• Build new affordable housing
• Help residents become homeowners
• Preserve affordable rental housing 

Prevent homelessness and improve housing stability

• Support emergency shelters
• Help people quickly move into permanent housing
• Provide services that prevent eviction and homelessness

Strengthen neighborhoods

• Remove blight
• Improve public infrastructure and neighborhood facilities
• Support revitalization efforts that improve safety and quality of life

Expand housing opportunity

• Increase access to fair housing protections and education for both renters and homebuyers
• Provide public education and connections to resources for those seeking housing
• Support wealth-building opportunities for residents, including homeownership
• Help residents remain in their neighborhoods as investment occurs

Support residents through public services

• Fund programs that serve seniors, youth, families, and people with disabilities
• Invest in services that improve health, financial stability, and overall wellbeing
• Support neighborhood organizations that help residents meet basic needs