CHN Housing Partners, Elected Officials, Partners, Residents and Community Members Celebrate the Ribbon Cutting of Hope Homes 

“I’m so happy I could scream.” With these words, Councilwoman Deborah Gray began her speech at the Hope Homes Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, amplifying the excitement of the audience. 
 
Hope Homes is a scattered site development comprised of 30 single-family homes spread across three neighborhoods: nine in Buckeye-Shaker, nine in Lee Harvard and 12 in Mount Pleasant. Each home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms across two stories, along with a full basement, a welcoming front porch, and a 1.5-car garage. 

Kevin Nowak, President and CEO of CHN, launched the celebration with a warm message about the true meaning of home for CHN’s residents, “We’re not here today to celebrate a production of units. We’re here today to celebrate what these homes mean for our residents. Homes are a place to live, but they’re so much more than that. They’re a platform for families to realize the American dream, the dream of leaving something better for your kids, of having something to call your own, of becoming a homeowner. And that’s what Hope Homes represents.”  


 
Part of CHN’s nationally recognized Lease Purchase Program, each home in the Hope Homes development will be leased at an affordable rate and residents will have the option to purchase after CHN has owned the home for 15 years. To date, the Lease Purchase Program has helped over 3,900 families achieve their dream of homeownership. Hope Homes marks the 50th development deal between CHN and Enterprise in their 40-year-long partnership.   

“This development represents Enterprise’s 50th Low Income Housing Tax (LIHTC) deal with CHN. Fifty deals is not just a number. It’s 50 chapters in a story about what’s possible when we come together with shared purpose. That’s thousands of homes created and preserved and countless lives touched across Cleveland and beyond. 

At Enterprise, we believe that housing is the foundation for family well-being. A safe, affordable home makes everything else possible — health, education, financial stability, and the chance to dream bigger for the future. Hope Homes truly embodies that belief,” said Ayonna Blue Donald, vice president of the Ohio Market at Enterprise Community Partners.  


 
A $10.7 million investment in Cleveland’s East Side, Hope Homes is primarily funded by a 9% LIHTC from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). Funding is also provided by the City of Cleveland, Enterprise Community Partners, additional funds from OHFA and Fifth Third Bank.   
 
Ohio Housing Finance Agency Director, Bill Beagle, offered his congratulations on the hard work that led to the completion of 30 Hope Homes. “This project exemplifies the community's dedication to increasing opportunities for homeownership. Building affordable housing is an enormous and daunting task, especially in today’s environment. But CHN has made it happen with the support of partners like OHFA.” 

Construction is now complete on nearly all the homes, and residents are in the process of moving in. “It’s not hard to imagine all the memories that will be made in these homes from births, birthdays, graduations and the first school pictures,” Beagle added. 
 
 
The support of Cleveland City Council was foundational to building Hope Homes. For some members, the development held special meaning because of their own lived experiences. Council President Blaine Griffin shared with the crowd, “I would tell you that I moved seven times before I graduated high school. I never had a home that we actually owned. We might have rented for a few months, but we never truly lived in a place of our own. I was raised by a single mother — just me and her. And if you look at the statistics, Cleveland neighborhoods have a higher-than-average number of single-parent households. 

To be able to have homes like these, where families can actually raise their children and create a pathway to wealth, is exactly what we want to see in the city of Cleveland. I tell people this often, I recently bought my own home, and I’m debt-free, mortgage-free. That’s the kind of story we want to see for young women and families across our city.”
 
Sharing the same sentiment about the importance of building more affordable housing in Cleveland, Councilwoman Deborah Gray said, “This is a dream come true. For all the residents who have stayed in this area and remembered the houses before they were demolished, it took years for us to get here. I want to thank all the residents who remain in this ward and came out to support Hope Homes. This has been a milestone for Ward 4, to see this development return to our community. They stayed with hope, knowing this day would come. And today, we celebrate this wonderful, fantastic occasion, seeing these beautiful homes come back to our community,” said Gray.  

 
 
The final remarks were delivered by a proud resident of Hope Homes, Blandine Salukombo, who joined the stage with her newborn child. Having moved in recently, she shared how CHN has become a vital part of her community and how honored she is to live in one of the homes. “On our first day here, we were greeted and welcomed by the community and have felt at home ever since,” Salukombo remembered. “It’s close to my work, church, and my kids’ school. Hope Homes doesn’t just bring homeownership — it brings peace and joy to my heart,” she added. Following  Salukombo remarks, attendees gathered for the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon.