Congresswoman Brown Hosts OH-11 Housing Expo in Cleveland

Cleveland, OH – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) hosted an OH-11 Housing Expo Saturday October 5 at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. The housing expo featured federal, state, and local agencies, housing advocates, and mortgage lenders, who provided resources and information to Northeast Ohioans.

Materials for press: Video, Photos

Participants included: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Cuyahoga County Department of Senior and Adult Services, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, the City of Cleveland Department of Community Development, Cleveland Housing Court, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, and more. The expo also featured breakout sessions on federal assistance programs, property taxes, mortgages, housing resources for seniors, downpayment assistance, and more.

“The incredible interest in this event mirrors what we have heard from constituents for a long time: housing is one of the biggest issues in Northeast Ohio and people need assistance. Housing can be complex, so we wanted to bring federal and local resources and experts together under one roof for the community. We need to make housing more affordable and make affordable housing more plentiful, help more people purchase a home, and make sure that everyone has a safe place to stay. Thank you to Cleveland State University for hosting us and to all of the panelists, speakers, and participants who took part in the expo. We all have a role to play in addressing the housing needs of Ohioans and I will continue to help make resources available to my constituents,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

Congresswoman Brown is a cosponsor of three major bills to expand access to affordable housing and home ownership in the United States. These bills are: the Home Investment Partnership Act (H.R. 7075), which would significantly increase the federal funds available for affordable housing across the country and expand HUD’s HOME program, the Home of Your Own Act (H.R. 8714), which would create a new $30,000 grant for eligible first-time homebuyers, and the HELPER Act (H.R. 3170) which would establish a new home loan program under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for teachers, law enforcement officers, and first responders.

Participating agencies and organizations included:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Cuyahoga County Department of Senior and Adult Services
Cuyahoga County Fiscal Department
Cuyahoga County Probate Court
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
City of Cleveland Department of Community Development
Cleveland Housing Court
Ohio State University Extension
Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
CHN Housing Partners
Community Housing Solutions
Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research
Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
NID Housing Counseling Agency
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
West Park Kamm's Neighborhood Development
Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

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