Cleveland CDC Abandons Role As Developer Of Last Resort

Cleveland's Near West side neighborhood, Ohio City, is one of the city's bright success stories in urban housing revitalization. It is also a sore spot for affordable housing advocates who have worked for decades to achieve a “sustainable, economically diverse neighborhood,” in the words of one. The situation has reached its climax as Ohio City Near West Development Corp. moved recently to remove its historic emphasis on affordable housing from its charter. The article explores issues of what is the proper role of community development corporations (Cleveland is considered a national model for CDCs as redevelopers) as well as when affordable housing advocates are outmatched by private market developers. An accompanying piece has a full design concept from a pair of urban planners with the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative for an affordable, green village in Ohio City. Click here: http://www.hotelbruce.com/01_03/featurewell_w_village.php