On Monday, August 5th, a historic groundbreaking will be held at noon on East 85th Street at Chester Avenue in Ward 7/Hough. Known far and wide for the beautiful, spacious homes that have been built over the last quarter century in the near east side community where my wife and I elected to reside almost 20 years ago, new home construction in Hough is set to take off again.
When the housing crash came in 2008 — which, by the way, wasn’t the result of an unavoidable set of circumstances, but the result of a conscious decision made by Wall Street (in collusion with the Bush Administration) to rob average Americans for the benefit of wealthy investors — homebuilding came to a halt all across the United States. Gradually, the housing market bounced back in white neighborhoods, but not in communities like Hough where banks were still allowed to redline.
However, with the election of Basheer Jones to represent Ward 7 on Cleveland’s city council, coupled with developmental pressure due to the community’s desirable location, halfway between downtown and University Circle, lenders finally began to treat the community fairly. Now, families that want to live in a new home in a neighborhood where a sense of community is being baked into the development can do so, and often for less than a $1000 per month — or less than rent in some cases. Come out to the groundbreaking and see for yourself, or you can call Henry Stoudermire at 216.390.0507.
How to Make a Real Difference
For all of the folks that have been decrying the actions of cops in general, and Cleveland cops in particular, now is the time you can do something about it. The City of Cleveland and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio are seeking qualified applicants for appointment to the Cleveland Community Police Commission. But to qualify for consideration, applicants must either reside or work in the City of Cleveland.
The initial four-year terms on the Cleveland Community Police Commission will end on September 2019 so new members will be appointed to begin service on October 1, 2019. Individuals who have previously applied to serve on the commission and who were not selected are eligible and encouraged to submit a new application and current members can reapply.
A selection panel established pursuant to the consent decree will consider all submitted applications and will recommend 10 individuals for appointment to the commission, with terms beginning on October 1, 2019. The Commission is a 13-person body created as part of the terms of the consent decree to foster police and community communication and understanding and to provide input on reform. It is made up of 10 civilian representatives and one representative from each of the three police unions: the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Black Shield.
Applications are due by 5pm on August 15, 2019. For more information about the commission and how to apply to become a member go to clevelandohio.gov/ClevelandCPCApplication. For more information about the commission’s work, go to clecpc.org/ or you can call 216.505.5920 for more information. Here’s a real chance to make a difference in your community.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.