Inside Cleveland's newest winter shelter for people sleeping outside
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NEOCH's new seasonal shelter on East 19th Street. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
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."
Also: The Metanoia Project is operating a seasonal shelter at Mt. Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church at 11115 Kinsman Road with a nightly capacity of 40, Cuyahoga County announced in November.
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.
What's next: NEOCH plans to operate the shelter each winter from November through April while connecting guests to housing, health care and employment resources. It will be staffed by a manager and 12 monitors, who were trained this weekend, per NEOCH.
- NEOCH is still deciding how the building will be used during warmer months.