CLEVELAND — Councilman Richard Starr and Mayor Justin Bibb hosted a community meeting Thursday at the Zelma Watson George Recreation Center to hear from families impacted by the gas explosion at Rainbow Terrace Apartments in Garden Valley in June 2025.
“Some residents said housing was a major issue, so I’m going to work with these families to make sure the right housing. Some residents said they need some jobs, they need some dollars, we’re going to see what we can do,” said Starr.
They also invited multiple organizations to help those in need of better housing, jobs and mental health resources.
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“I’m definitely going to ask my colleagues if we can pass a PIF, Project Initiation Form, to see if we can get some dollars out from our discretionary funds in a collective unit to see what we can do,” said Starr.
Bibb even apologized to families for the lack of care and support that Andre Rowe said they felt.
“I really feel, how can I say, admirable about him apologizing for his mistakes, taking accountability for it, and I see the emotion that he had too to say that he wants to put things right,” said Rowe.
RELATED: Family of Rainbow Terrace explosion victim files wrongful death lawsuit, demands accountability
After Thursday’s meeting, Rowe said he hopes the city will consider helping each family based on their individual needs.
“It was none of the residents' fault, and we had lost everything. I was seeing how they can make it right to help us with ongoing services,” said Rowe.
Meanwhile, DeNesha Moses said she wants the city to put their words into action because she feels things are at a standstill.
“I see them, they’re out here; but they all, some have been out. But they’re not doing nothing, so that’s kind of like a slap in the face if you’re just going to be here and you’re not really resourcefully doing anything,” said Moses, who was also impacted by the gas explosion at Rainbow Terrace.
Even though the cause is undetermined, city leaders said the investigation is not closed, so beyond figuring out what happened that day, Moses hopes the city will also focus on making her and others feel safe and secure.
RELATED: Cause of Rainbow Terrace explosion in Garden Valley undetermined, City of Cleveland officials say
“I hope that more work is going to be done versus being spoken on because the words are here, but the actions are not, so that’s about as much as I can say. I really do hope the mayor can stand on everything that he said,” said Moses.
