A Cuyahoga County housing program is losing 20% of its county funding, but the program鈥檚 leaders said the changes should not leave people homeless.
The Emerald Development and Economic Network (EDEN), a Cuyahoga County housing for homelessness organization, sent letters to its tenants at the end of last month informing them of the 20% reduction to the funding it receives from the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County (ADAMHS) to take effect in the new year.
EDEN Executive Director Elaine Gimmel said this will likely lead to staff cuts and selling properties, but even if EDEN needs to sell properties where people in the program are currently living, it will work to move tenants to different properties.
鈥淥ur goal is to make sure that they have another place to move to. It is not to have them not have anywhere to go or to be unhoused. Absolutely not,鈥� Gimmel said. 鈥淚f we're getting reduced by 20%, we obviously can't handle the same expenses for the year.鈥�
The funding cuts to EDEN stem from its reduction in funding from the recently passed Cuyahoga County budget, which cut $8.5 million from the ADAMHS Board over two years, according to the board.
"While the ADAMHS Board determines funding levels for contracted agencies, we do not direct how agencies implement reductions. If a provider determines that a program change could affect housing for individuals, we expect them to notify us and to ensure that residents are offered alternative, appropriate placements," ADAMHS Board CEO Jason Joyce said in a statement.
Gimmel said she wanted the letters to help provide comfort to the tenants.
鈥淲e know that our residents keep up with the news,鈥� Gimmel said. 鈥淛ust so they knew that we were trying to determine how are we going to address the reduction.鈥�
EDEN is also facing cuts to its federal funding, which could be much more damaging.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development鈥檚 Continuum of Care homelessness assistance grant funding previously prioritized 90% of its budget for permanent housing, which benefited EDEN鈥檚 permanent housing program to serve about 2,700 households.
Moving forward, about 30% of the CoC grant will be distributed for permanent housing. EDEN now estimates it will only serve 500-600 households in the CoC program in 2026.
鈥淚t is not an easy time for us. I've been here 30 years and I've never seen an environment like this,鈥� Gimmel said. 鈥淭here will be some negative impacts moving forward. It's just trying to reduce those as best we can.鈥�
