Social Impact News and Analysis

In October, Ohio Treasurer of State Robert Sprague announced a new program called the Ohio Gains. This initiative is aimed at putting the state treasury’s balance sheet to work for Ohioans. The proposal centers around three new investment reforms that will help bolster support for the state’s agriculture community, health systems, and institutions of higher education.

Legislation authorizing Ohio Gains is expected to be introduced in the Ohio Senate by Senators Michael Rulli and Jerry Cirino and in the
Continue Reading Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague Announces Ohio Gains Initiative

A team of six co-chairs, representing local leaders in the labor, business, faith, and community sectors, will lead the Transition CLE process. The co-chairs represent a diverse and dynamic team, and we are grateful to be guided by this cross-section of leaders:

  • Darrell McNair, President & Chief Executive Officer, MVP Plastics Corporation
  • Erika Anthony, Executive Director, Ohio Transformation Fund
  • John Ryan, Former labor and nonprofit leader
  • Phyllis “Seven” Harris, Executive Director, LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
  • Paul Clark


Continue Reading Mayor Elect Justin Bibb Announces Co-Chairs of Transition Team

The new Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership was created to spread valuable information about the manufacturing industry (and opportunities within it) for future workers. Twenty-four of Stark County’s more than five hundred manufacturers have already joined the organization, which aims to give its members the chance to actively participate in developing a qualified workforce.
Continue Reading Canton Manufacturers Form Workforce Partnership

Case Western Reserve University and MetroHealth are extending their education and research partnership through June 30, 2031. The partnership is notable for the clinical learning opportunities the partnership offers to medical students. The renewal focuses on further developing education programs, and research projects.
Continue Reading CWRU and MetroHealth Extend Their Affiliation Through 2031

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (currently led by former Ohio 11th District Congresswoman Marcia Fudge) has selected Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) as one the lead public housing authorities (PHAs) to participate in a six-year demonstration project to aid low-income households in relocating to more prosperous communities. The demonstration will receive $45.7 million in total funding.

Through this demonstration, participating PHAs will provide over 10,000 families with children better access to low-poverty neighborhoods with high-performing schools
Continue Reading Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority wins $5-million grant for mobility demonstration program bound to change lives

This Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Policy Summit is a regional conference that explores solutions at the practitioner and policy levels to challenges that low- and moderate-income communities face. The biennial multi-day event offers its audience of researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers the latest research and best practices through presentations and real-world conversations.

For more information and registration information, click here.
Continue Reading Blog Highlight – Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland – Policy Summit 2021 Pathways to Economic Resilience in our Communities – June 23-25, 2021 virtual conference

A Bloomberg opinion article argues that neighborhood style single and multi-family homes built specially for renters could help make housing more affordable and also avoid existing homeowners’ normal aversion to high-capacity housing (“Not-In-My-Backyard-ism”). The author claims that institutional investment opportunities currently lie in building new homes, rather than in buying economically opportunistic existing homes because the market is now currently dealing with low rates of inventory. In new built-to-rent communities, high capacity housing will likely be received more warmly because
Continue Reading Opinion: Expected Institutional Investor boom in ‘build-for-rent’ homes could help kill NIMBYism

The City of Dayton plans to sue Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the U.S. Department of Defense to prevent the continued chemical contamination of drinking water. While Wright-Patt responded that it is taking an “aggressive” approach to addressing the issue, and is collaborating with state authorities, the City of Dayton threatened to file a lawsuit in early May if the situation is not addressed.

Read more in the Dayton Daily News here.
Continue Reading Dayton intends to sue Wright-Patt, says it wants to stop water contamination

A pair of proposed laws may soon protect Akron tenants from eviction both by stopping evictions for tenants who are able to pay back rent through pandemic assistance, and by prohibiting landlords from using particular sources of income (such as child support, housing vouchers, welfare and other income subsidies) as sole grounds for denying rental applications. The laws will continue to be debated through April.

Read more on the Akron Beacon Journal website here.
Continue Reading Proposed laws would support struggling Akron renters facing eviction

The Western Reserve Community Fund (WRCF), which is managed by the Development Finance Authority of Summit County (DFA), received official certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) from the CDFI Fund, a program overseen by the U.S. Treasury. All CDFI’s share a common goal of expanding economic opportunity in Low-Income Communities by providing access to financial products and services for local residents and businesses, striving to foster economic opportunity and revitalized neighborhoods.

See full report by Chris Burnham Executive
Continue Reading Western Reserve Community Fund Obtains Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Certification