The COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to rethink their priorities, their work environments, and career choices. As more workers head toward gig work and freelance work-from-home jobs, employers are looking for new ways to attract and retain workers in a dwindling workforce. 
 

LGBTQ+ Business Enterprises are part of an intentional effort to create jobs, provide opportunities and build equity. But why aren't LGBTQ+ companies signing up for the certification?
 

Unprecedented demand for mental health workers and a sparse employee pipeline are adding stress to Ohio’s already strained behavioral health system—potentially putting pressure on other health systems or having detrimental effects on those needing services. The experts have some solutions.

Many Cleveland neighborhoods—almost 60% according to one estimate—are not in close proximity to a grocery store, effectively stranding people access to fresh and healthy food. The Central neighborhood is no different. What’s being done about it?

Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and a second bill that restricts access to LGBTQ+ healthcare are looming in the state legislature. 
 

Northeast Ohio residents’ ability to get to work by public transit has been in the spotlight in recent years, with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s  NextGen route redesign, implemented in June 2021, attempting to improve service frequency and job access. This may help, but what else can be done? 
 

While GCRTA's recent NextGen route redesign has helped some people get to work on time, other smaller Northeast Ohio cities are working on their own public transit solutions, and how the Paradox Prize helped them do it.

Outdated city zoning codes in many Cleveland communities make new construction virtually impossible on the inner ring suburbs’ smaller vacant lots. But some communities are working toward adapting their codes to accommodate modern-day infill housing to meet a variety of needs.
 

Earlier this month FreshWater Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Journalism Collaborative ran a series on water affordability. Now we are hosting a virtual conversation to further discuss what can be about the rising costs of water and sewer bills. 

From Cleveland to Philly to San Antonio, water-discount programs aren’t reaching everyone they should. Because of this, University of Wisconsin-Madison associate professor Manny Teodoro says these programs should only be one part of the solution. What else can be done?
 

In the second part of this NEO SoJo series on water affordability, we travel from Philadelphia back to Cleveland to look at the successes and failings of water discount programs meant to help low-income people.
 

Water has increasingly become more expensive for people struggling to make ends meet. In part one of this three part series, NEO SoJo reporter Conor Morris examines what Philadelphia is doing to relieve some people of the financial burden—and how Cleveland can follow suit. 

 

In February, Cuyahoga County released its second Sustainable Cuyahoga report and Tool Kit, a follow up to its 2016 report with best practices for a cleaner, healthier urban core. But the entire community must work together to bring this change, say local experts. 
 

By March 2023, all rental properties built before 1978 must earn Cleveland certification that they are lead-safe. Only about 9,000 units have been certified lead-safe so far, so inspectors are going through the city to ensure the estimated 100,000 units in the city comply.

Many local businesses have suffered or closed permanently during the pandemic, while others have found new opportunities. Most local LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs say they’re weathering the ordeal—thanks in part to rising support from individuals and institutions in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Dealing with a mounting utility bill or shut-off notice can be scary. There are programs out there to help, but they can be difficult to navigate.

DigitalC says its infrastructure improvements will bring affordable, reliable internet to the nation’s most disconnected city. But can the organization go from serving 1,100 to 40,000 customers in three years?
 

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is expanding its affordability program to now apply to renters, and to those with a higher income than before. Will that boost enrollment in a program that only had 12% of eligible customers signed up?
 

For the first time ever, the federal government has created a program to help low-income people with their water/sewer bills. Applications are now being accepted in Cleveland through CHN Partners.