Too many Clevelanders, especially those living in the city's predominantly Black and underserved neighborhoods, struggle to make ends meet as a result of unemployment and underemployment. Many area organizations are working hard to meet the needs of people. Three Cleveland organizations are taking grassroots, creative approaches to supplying basic resources.

When Democratic Republic of Congo native Juvens Niyonzima came to Cleveland in 2020, he hoped to get a job in media or in healthcare—two fields in which he had education and training. Instead, the only work he could get was a hospital cleaning job. New Bridge Cleveland and Ohio Media School put him on the road to success in his fields.

Neighborhood disinvestment and quality housing are two of the top reasons why racism is considered a public health crisis. But residents in some Black Cleveland neighborhoods are investing time and effort to make their neighborhoods safe, bright, and beautiful.

There are many efforts are underway at farms, community gardens, markets, social service organizations, and public agencies to nourish communities like Cleveland—the nation’s poorest big city—where food deserts are common and healthy foods are not the cheapest, most affordable, or most accessible options. 

Many immigrants are often hesitant to access the American healthcare system—primarily because many American providers don't understand their cultural backgrounds. One Nigerian-born pharmacist is trying to remove the  barriers in Cleveland's refugee community with IKON Health Foundation.

In this second part of our two part series on affordable housing and racism, we look at the efforts the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, nonprofits, and neighborhood CDCs are making to improve affordable housing options and how to ensure safe and affordable housing is not discriminatory.

Affordable housing is one of the most critical basic needs of everyone. But Cleveland is lacking in affordable, quality housing, experts say, and the Black population is most impacted. While Cleveland and many neighborhood CDCs are working to improve affordable housing options, the need—especially in Black communities—is still great.

When Jonas Mbonga crossed the border from Mexico to Texas in the summer of 2018, he thought it would be the end of a long and dangerous journey. Instead, it was the start of an even more difficult path—navigating the immigration detention system in the United States.