Tenants in several cities across Ohio have something that their counterparts in Cleveland lack—renter protection rights. 
 

Cuyahoga County’s vaccination rates range from 90% in wealthier suburban areas to 30% in low-income Cleveland communities. This interactive map breaks it all down.

Housing rights activists and community groups in Cleveland are hoping to convince Mayor Justin Bibb and Cleveland City Council to adopt renters’ protections that would make source of income discrimination illegal.

It's been a long two years since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. While we may be physically and emotionally drained, Cleveland and its residents had some noteworthy accomplishments. This week, we take a look back at 2021 with the FreshWater staff reflecting on the past year and looking forward to events and projects in 2022.

An estimated 116,500 families in Ohio—including many in the Cleveland area—missed out on the $250-$300 monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments. What happened, and what can be done to remedy that problem?

Not all families in Northeast Ohio have received the expanded child tax credits. With a deadline fast approaching to receive the advance payments, NEO SoJo has created an FAQ to answer common questions and help folks sign up.

A coalition of housing advocates and area organizations is asking Cleveland mayoral candidates Justin Bibb and Kevin Kelley to support renter protection legislation. 

Unsilenced Voices of CMSD was created in partnership with CMSD, Report for America and NEO SoJo to provide an opportunity for CMSD students to talk about the issues they care about. Check out student Stephen Conner's podcast on bridging the divide between republicans and democrats.
 

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and other local politicians caught an earful when they gathered at a shopping plaza in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood in mid-August to discuss ideas around the funding “surge” to address poverty and inequity.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish announced a major project last week to expand wireless internet access to approximately 70% of Cleveland’s Central neighborhood, and provide Internet equipment to 500 of 2,500 households.

NEO SoJO reporter Conor Morris reports in part two on Ideastream Public Media's and The City Club of Cleveland's forum to hear from those who asked questions during  the second Cleveland mayoral forum.
 

Expanding on Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Outside initiative, local nonprofit Organic Connects partners with the Cleveland Metroparks to help urban youth connect to nature.

Both Ohio prisoners and prison staff are less likely to be vaccinated than other adults in the state, perpetuating the virus within the institutions. With 42% of prison staff testing positive for COVID-19, Ohio is looking to what other U.S. states are doing to reduce the virus spread.

One of the more intractable problems facing manufacturers is the mismatch between the location of jobs and where entry-level workers live. Many low-income and Black workers live in Cleveland and don’t own cars, but many jobs are in the suburbs, far from public transportation. 
 

After a year-and-a-half hiatus, curbside recycling is coming back to  Cleveland and residents have until October to opt in to the program.
 

Come join the NEO SoJo group for our Common Ground listening event to talk about the region's economic recovery and the child tax credit.

Many Northeast Ohio farmers’ markets not only stayed open last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also expanded access to Produce Perks, EBT and other nutrition assistance programs. Their aim is to help those in need while gaining customers at the same time.