Homeless Advocacy Alert

In 2009, the city of Cleveland Heights received $715,000 to help prevent homelessness as part of the federal stimulus program. The city pooled their resources with Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland - $13 million to serve any low-income residents in the county facing eviction.  Last year, there were approximately 500 people who faced eviction at the Cleveland Hts. Municipal Court.  As of January 2011, Cleveland Hts. has only used 12.2% of their available funding ($87,000).  The federal government says that the City must have 60% of their dollars expended by July 2011 or it will be redistributed to other communities, and all money must be spent by July 2012. 

In July and October 2010, NEOCH contacted the Cleveland Hts. agency overseeing these funds requesting the hiring of an attorney to be stationed at the court to help with evictions and to refer those facing eviction to the Cleveland non-profit distributing the funds in order to spend down the Cleveland Hts funding.  The letter went without response or acknowledgment.

As an example of a community that received and utilized similar funding, Lakewood received over $900,000 from the federal stimulus and partnered with Lakewood Christian Services to spend the funds.  As of January 2011, Lakewood had allocated 67% of their funds to help prevent evictions.

To learn more about the issue, including what you can do to help, please click here to be directed to the NEOCH website, here to read a letter to the editor published in the Sun Press, or here for News Channel 5 coverage (video and print).

Resources

Ohio AG Vows to Continue Fugitive Safe Surrender Program

Plans are under way to carry out Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine promise in March to continue the Fugitive Safe Surrender program in Ohio after funding from the federal Marshals Service was cut nationwide. Plans include hiring a staff member to coordinate future events, at which thousands of mostly non-violent offenders with warrants for their arrest meet at a safe, neutral space to surrender and seek legal help while avoiding the violent confrontations that can accompany forceful arrests. A U.S. marshals spokesman said the decision was made to cut funding to the program, which cost the service $250,000 annually, because it didn't fit with its mission of catching violent fugitives.

Real estate magnate Sam Miller last week donated $100,000 to support FSS in Ohio, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is pushing legislation that would keep the program on a national level under the office of the U.S. Attorney General.  Judges, clergy and law enforcement officials also have said they plan to work to continue the program on a statewide basis.

FSS began in Cleveland in 2005 and spread to other states, leading to the peaceful surrender of more than 34,000 people in 19 U.S. cities. In September 2010, the program in a Cleveland suburb set a national record by drawing 7,431 people looking to resolve outstanding warrants for their arrest.

For more about current plans, see the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
For more about DeWine's March announcement, see the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Columbus Dispatch.

New Judgment Entry Forms for Divorce and Dissolution 

The Domestic Relations Court will begin using new Judgment Entry forms for Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage officially on May 2, 2011.  You may view and download the new forms from the Domestic Relations Court website here. The forms as posted are interactive.

Upcoming clinics & events

For a calendar of Legal Aid brief advice/intake clinics, please visit the Legal Aid website at www.lasclev.org. 

2011: May 13, June 10, July 8

In the News

Nominations for the Volunteer
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