CLEVELAND — May 19, 2021 — CHN Housing Partners and United Way of Greater Cleveland today announced a plan to build Cleveland Scholar House, a service-enriched apartment building for single parents who are college students and their minor children. In addition to CHN and United Way, other core partners include Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Cleveland State University (CSU) and Step Forward.
Cleveland Scholar House will be funded through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which was announced today by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). The Tax Credit is expected to generate over $9 million of the project’s estimated $12 million development cost.
“We are so grateful to OHFA for seeing the need for this project in northeast Ohio,” said Kevin J. Nowak, executive director of CHN Housing Partners. “The tax credit award is the essential first step to making Cleveland Scholar House a reality,” he added.
The successful Scholar House model was pioneered in Kentucky. CHN, United Way and other partners are bringing Scholar House to Cleveland. The model will remove barriers to economic opportunity by providing affordable housing and wrap-around services for single adult college students and their children to support educational success.
“This is much more than a bricks and mortar project,” said Nowak. “With leadership from United Way and critical contributions from CMHA, CSU, Tri-C and Step Forward, our community is truly embracing Scholar House,” he added.
United Way will coordinate wrap-around services for Cleveland Scholar House’s residents.
“The Scholar House model is a two-generation approach designed to interrupt the cycle of poverty for parents and their children and permanently change the trajectory of their lives,” said August Napoli, President and CEO of United Way.
Cleveland Scholar House will offer the following:
- Stable Housing — CHN will develop the building on vacant land within walking distance of CSU and Tri-C. Amenities will include daycare, study space, a computer lab, common space for parenting classes and family activities, as well as child play space.
- Rental Support —CMHA will provide 40 project- based vouchers and lease the land for the building.
- High Quality Childcare — Step Forward will provide onsite daycare.
- Academic Support —CSU and Tri-C will provide life skills, academic counseling, and cohort support for first-generation college students.
- Resident Services —CHN, United Way and others will coordinate wrap-around services, including mental health counseling, financial literacy, and access to benefits and other services.
“The Cleveland Scholar House offers solutions to systemic problems, such as lack of access to affordable housing and quality education, as opposed to addressing the symptoms of poverty alone, including homelessness and hunger, to create real, long-term impact within the community and the hope of eliminating these barriers altogether in the future,” added Napoli.
Cleveland Scholar House will be located on Community College Avenue and will consist of 33 two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units. CHN Housing Partners will serve as developer, property manager and owner. The building architect is Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold, Inc.
