Cleveland Scene: LGBTQ+ Org Receives $800,000 to Address Housing Insecurity in Northeast Ohio

An Ohio LGBTQ+ organization has been awarded an $829,467 grant to create transitional housing for LGBTQ+ individuals on Cleveland’s east side.

Haus of Transcendent (HOT) was launched in 2023 as a nonprofit organization to address the social drivers of LGBTQ+ health through outreach, case management, housing and art.

In 2022, HOT CEO Jordi Luke purchased an 8,600 square-foot mixed-use building in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood with the goal of providing low barrier transitional and permanent housing and a community space for LGBTQ+ individuals at risk of homelessness.

Skyrocketing post-pandemic construction costs and a reported break-in where the space was ransacked for valuable scrap material delayed the project. This new grant could make Hot Hausing a reality. With the monies, HOT will be able to rehab that building as well as purchase three adjacent lots, all as part of a robust plan that includes transitional housing, permanent housing and office space.

“This is a watershed moment for HOT as we take a monumental step toward fulfilling our mission to build an accessible, vibrant, and healthy community for all,” said Luke.

The grant was provided by Sandra Hoskins Legacy Foundation (SHLF), a North Carolina-based organization that seeks out and supports projects focused on providing housing and employment opportunities for those with barriers to economic independence.

“This is the biggest grant SHLF has ever given,” Christie Yonkers, executive director of SHLF, said at a HOT event on November 10. “We must take care of each other because we can’t count on the government to do that.”

The need for such a project is evident in recent findings from the Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment. Key data points included:

• Among those surveyed, 31% have experienced housing insecurity at some point in their life.
• Of respondents experiencing housing insecurity, 24% experience insecurity every month, 36% most months, 8% for a month or two annually and 31% are unsure about their housing stability.

“It’s not just housing; it’s housing plus,” a community survey respondent wrote. “We need another layer between the people receiving services and those providing them. They need someone to hold their hand, ensure they know how to access the services, and help them make this more than just emergency housing.”

According to the needs assessment, the community survey highlighted two recommendations: build more LGBTQ+-friendly safe spaces, community areas, and neighborhoods; and provide housing assistance, including senior, low-income, trans-friendly housing, and co-op living.

Jehlani White, a researcher on the Greater Cleveland Community Needs Assessment team, further emphasized the significance of the grant awarded to HOT.

“Everyone deserves a home,” White said. “Everyone deserves safety and should feel safe and secure. And everyone needs a place to just be and exist. HOT Hausing marks the beginning of something necessary, powerful, and revolutionary—needed now more than ever.”

Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.