LORAIN, Ohio — A proposed apartment building for people experiencing homelessness is drawing mixed reactions from Lorain neighbors, leaders and business owners. Broadway Commons would offer affordable housing and support services near the center of the city, but some think the project would be better suited in a different location.
“I cannot believe there is not another place in the city of Lorain [where] this project can move forward,” said one woman during the public comment period at Monday’s Lorain City Council meeting.
EDEN, Inc. and CHN Housing Partners are spearheading the initiative on Broadway, near the intersection of 21st Street. The nearly $14 million, 62-unit building would include housing and support services, including dedicated space for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Some neighbors see the added resources as a necessary asset for the neighborhood.
“To tell you the truth, I think that would be a good thing because there’s a lot of [people experiencing poverty] and that would help out,” said lifetime resident Nicholas Laurenti. “I think that would be a good thing to get them off the streets.”
Others believe the location is problematic.
“It’s one of the biggest intersections in the city,” said Lorain City Council member Mary Springowski. “I support the concept. I do not support the location.”
Springowski told News 5 she’s fielded concerns from constituents and business owners in the neighborhood. She said some worry the facility would attract trouble and others worry it could drive away business.
She pointed to Fligner’s Market, a mainstay grocery store on Broadway for nearly a century, as one of the businesses considering relocating if the project moves forward. The store owners told News 5 by phone they would consider all of their options in that case and are hoping the building finds its home elsewhere in the city.
“Given the fact that this would be supported by taxpayer funds, I would really hope that the developers would listen to the taxpayers who would end up paying for this,” Springowski said.
The developers have already been awarded a $9.7 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit from the Ohio Housing Council to purchase and build on the privately-owned property. They must receive zoning approval before the project can move forward.
The Lorain Planning Commission will review the zoning application and listen to community feedback at its 9 a.m. Wednesday meeting in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be live streamed at this link.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
