The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless’ new seasonal shelter opened Monday in downtown Cleveland, offering overnight space for people who typically sleep outside during the winter months.
Why it matters: Seasonal shelters are a lifeline during Cleveland winters, when cold, wind and snow sharply increase the risk of hypothermia for people without housing.
- Five people died of hypothermia last winter in Cuyahoga County, per the medical examiner.
Zoom in: The shelter is a building formerly used as student housing for Cleveland State lacrosse players at 1530 E. 19th St. It will operate nightly from 6pm-8am.
- Its 12 rooms with up to four bunks each can accommodate nearly 50 people, including couples and guests with pets — populations often excluded from traditional shelters.
🧸 Inside the room: Axios Cleveland attended an open house for the new shelter on Friday. Each bunk was made with donated linens and topped with a stuffed animal.
- The space also includes a large, well-appointed communal kitchen.
Between the lines: NEOCH purchased the building in December for $650,000 after years of relying on temporary church spaces that weren’t always welcomed by surrounding neighborhoods or supported by the City Council.
What they’re saying: “At this point forward, there will never be a building unavailable, a church basement needed, a reason to open late, or close early,” said NEOCH executive director Chris Knestrick in a statement.
- “Our community will have a seasonal shelter available for the foreseeable future.”
The big picture: Local providers say that while seasonal shelters save lives, homelessness remains a year-round housing crisis driven by low incomes and a lack of affordable housing…