Declining Home Repair Programs in Cleveland: How and Why

Older industrial cities face widespread housing quality issues following decades of population loss and economic contraction. For vulnerable households - including low-income, disabled, and racially/ethnically marginalized residents - the ability to maintain and repair homes is crucial for their safety, health, and housing stability. Access to home repair funding is particularly vital when these households face challenges related to aging, poverty, or disability, as it helps them continue making housing payments and remain in their homes. This chapter examines the geographic distribution of loans across three home repair programs administered by the City of Cleveland, Ohio. We analyze the relationships between city-supported home repairs, neighborhood-level socioeconomic changes, and future housing quality at the parcel level. Our research represents an initial investigation toward understanding if and how home repair programs influence the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods after improvements and support aging-in-place among vulnerable residents. Our research also provides insights into whether these locally administered programs have lasting effects on housing quality. We analyze characteristics of program applicants (1996-2023), including unit type, loan amount, age, race/ethnicity, and type of work completed, along with Census and American Community Survey data to describe the neighborhoods associated with loan applications. We use Cleveland’s 2022 Citywide Property Survey to understand the relationship between loan usage and future housing quality conditions. The findings of this chapter provide important insights into the role of home repair programs in ameliorating health, safety, and housing quality challenges stemming from long-term decline and disinvestment.