Heightened Attacks on Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
Housing is a fundamental human need. A stable home provides more than just protection from the elements: it offers safety, opportunities to rest, heal, and connect, and the foundation to pursue a better future through education, career growth, and financial stability. Yet for far too many in our community, stable housing remains out of reach or difficult to maintain.
In Cuyahoga County, we continue to witness unnecessary suffering on our streets, where homelessness is often treated not as a crisis of unmet need, but as a crime. As one unhoused individual in Cleveland poignantly stated: “Talk to me like a regular person, not a criminal.”
The truth is, anyone can become homeless. At YWCA Greater Cleveland’s Norma Herr Women’s Center, we serve women not only from the Greater Cleveland region and throughout Ohio, but also from as far west as Milwaukee, as far east as New York City, and as far south as Atlanta. Yet despite the diverse backgrounds of our shelter guests, systemic inequities persist. Deep-rooted racial disparities in income, housing access, education, and employment have led to disproportionately high rates of housing instability among communities of color.
According to a 2022 study by Erik Gartland of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than half of low-income households in need of rental assistance—but who don’t receive it—are headed by people of color. These same households are more likely to face eviction or be forced to “double up” with others due to economic hardship. In Cuyahoga County, 80% of those entering shelters are Black, as reported by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.
Mental health also plays a major role in housing instability. Individuals experiencing mental illness are more vulnerable to the core drivers of homelessness: poverty, social isolation, and personal crisis. Mental illness can interfere with employment, erode support systems, and diminish a person’s ability to navigate life’s challenges. Once unhoused, these issues often intensify—fueling a cycle of anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and, at times, substance use.
As Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, warns, our society risks criminalizing homelessness instead of investing in supportive housing services that actually work. Evidence-based models like Housing First emphasize immediate access to shelter and wraparound support—an approach proven to foster long-term housing stability.
For more than 150 years, YWCA Greater Cleveland has been a steadfast advocate for equity, dignity, and justice in our community. That legacy continues today through our emergency, low-barrier shelter and stabilization services for women of all ages. In 2024 alone, we served over 400 women each month at the Norma Herr Women’s Center.
Upon arrival, our guests are met by compassionate case workers who help develop non-prescriptive, individualized housing plans that reflect each woman’s goals and needs. We provide access to mental health resources, workforce development, and permanent housing counseling to help women transition toward long-term stability and independence.
At YWCA Greater Cleveland, we lead with empathy and act on data. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to ending homelessness—but we’ve seen that when we provide safe shelter, listen to people’s lived experiences, and offer services tailored to their needs, we can help them rebuild their lives with stability, resilience, and dignity.