Home Repair Resource Center and 4 Other Local Non-Profits to Receive CDBG Funding Cuts

The Home Repair Resource Center is one of four local nonprofits that will see their funding reduced as part of federal cuts to the Community Development Block Grant program

HRRC, which helps low-income Cleveland Heights families with loans and puts on workshops so people can do their own home repairs, will receive about $50,000 less than they did last year through the program, or about $251,000.

The organization uses the CDBG money to provide most of its services, many of which are performed out of .

HRRC Director Kathryn Lad said there will not be a reduction in services offered as result of the cuts, mainly because the agency was proactive last year once it was learned the cuts were likely. A full-time instructor who taught the home repair classes and a part-time clerical worker were laid off. The home repair classes will now be taught by volunteers.

“It’s totally what we expected, and our board has been working all year to prepare for the future,” Lad said. “We’re doing what we can to look for alternative sources for funding and to build our donor base.”

Cleveland Heights, which administers the CDBG money, will receive about $1.6 million from the program to disperse among nine local agencies. Last year the city received $1.9 million.

The CDBG program was cut by about 16 percent for the upcoming year nationwide as part of a budget compromise worked out by Congress last spring that avoided a government shutdown. The money is doled out to municipalities by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, mostly for programs that help people with low- to moderate-incomes.

Other Cleveland Heights groups receiving cuts include: of Northeast Ohio from $37,500 to $30,000, Cleveland Tenants Organization from $7,000 to $6,000 and the Jewish Community Center of Cleveland’s Nutrition and Afternoon Out Program from $20,000 to $15,000.

Two other groups, and ’ Diversity Program, are also likely to see their funding reduced — by $5,000 and $4,000, respectively — once Cleveland Heights votes on their CDBG allotment next week. Heights Youth Club received $35,000 last year while the Heights Community Congress received $18,000 last year for the Diversity Program.

Joanne Federman, executive director for Family Connections of Northeast Ohio, said the organization hasn’t made any plans to limit services and instead is focusing on securing additional funding. The organization is putting out the call to anyone who will listen that they’re looking for donors.

“We’re not ready to give up,” she said. “We’re hoping it won’t impact, but you know, if we don’t find the funding we’ll have to deal with that.”

The program that will be affected by the cuts shows parents of kindergarteners how to have a larger impact on their child’s success at school. Called the Family School Connection Program, it operates in all seven Cleveland Heights-University Heights elementary schools, and includes a family time in the evening that is meant to show parents all the things they can do to strengthen their children's skills at school.

“It’s looking at the fact that parents are very critical player in the child’s school success,” Federman said.

The cut in funds could also affect one of the city’s favorite festivals.

Kasey Greer, executive director of the Heights Community Congress, said the could be “postponed” as one of the many options the group could take to deal with the loss of $4,000 to its budget.

Those funds specifically were targeted for the organization’s Diversity Program, which includes workshops and other activities designed to bring people together and celebrate their differences. Some of those could be scaled back as the organization decides how to adjust to the cuts.

“We won’t be doing as many programs as we’ve done,” she said. “We used to do a number of . It’s just a general cut in services.”

Some of the groups who operate in multiple cities suffered an even greater impact as a result of the loss of federal dollars.

The Cleveland Tenants Organization, which operates in 60 communities throughout Cuyahoga County, will see a 15 percent cut in CDBG funds from all the cities where it operates, or about $20,000, according to Executive Director Mike Piepsny.

He said the $1,000 loss in Cleveland Heights is tough, but the most egregious impact will be how quickly the people who work at the organization can respond to inquiries. CTO provides information and assistance to both tenants and landlords to make sure all parties involved are being treated fairly and are in good standing with the law.

“A thousand dollars (from Cleveland Heights) for us isn’t a huge hit, but the collective hit really hurts,” he said.

The organization laid off one full-time employee from its Rental Center because of cuts last year to funding and the expectation that more money would be cut this year. But Piepsny said that’s the extent of the losses CTO is expected to endure because of the cuts.

“Compared to most, we’re in pretty good shape,” he said.

Cleveland Heights City Council will also vote next week on the allocation of CDBG funds to three other groups, two that are slated to receive the same amount of funding as they had last year, and one that will actually see an increase.

The Center for Families and Children Pinpoint Program would receive $27,000 again this year, and the Noble Nela Merchants Association would again receive $6,000. The Heights Emergency Food Center would receive $7,800 this year, up from $6,400 last year.

Look for coverage from Monday's City Council meeting next week.