Delete WardNov 17, 2025
Op-Ed by Ward 6 Council President Blaine A. Griffin, published by Cleveland.com
You may have seen recent media reports that highlighted a study naming Cleveland as the second-most affordable of the world’s 95 largest housing markets. You may also have found this confusing.
Many local elected officials — myself included — have been calling for and working on solutions to Cleveland’s affordable housing crisis. So, how can Cleveland be both affordable and in the middle of an affordable housing crisis? It all comes down to semantics.
The study cited isn’t about affordable housing; it calculates how expensive or inexpensive a particular housing market is by comparing an area’s median house price to its median income. For example, in Los Angeles, housing prices are more than 11 times the median income, making it a costly place to live. However, it’s much cheaper to live in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, where housing prices are a little more than three times the median income. The study validates a significant selling point for our region: If you want your dollar to go further, move to Cleveland.
Cleveland’s affordable housing crisis is something altogether different. Housing affordability involves more than just home prices and incomes. Housing costs are considered affordable if people can pay for them without sacrificing other essential necessities; generally speaking, affordable housing should cost no more than 30% of household income.
Affordable housing also includes rental housing. This is particularly important in Cleveland, where nearly 60% of residents live in just under 100,000 rental units. A major cause of Cleveland’s affordable housing crisis is the rising cost of renting. Cleveland experienced the highest annual rent increases in the country in recent years; in 2024, rents here increased by 10.6%. On top of being unable to buy a house, many families can no longer afford to rent.
People across the city who need affordable housing are struggling. They face landlords who refuse to accept Section 8 vouchers, unsafe and unhealthy locations, and the very real threat of homelessness. City Councilmembers hear from residents every day about the need for affordable housing and greater investment in our neighborhoods, particularly in under-resourced areas.
In response, City Council legislated the investment of more than $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for new housing construction, gap financing, home repair programs, and supportive services.
Projects funded through this investment include $27 million for lead abatement and home repairs, as well as nearly $10 million for scattered-site housing. We have partnered with federal agencies to secure $35 million for Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) housing in the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. And, we have provided millions for other neighborhood affordable housing developments.
Additionally, earlier this year, the city of Cleveland and the Local Initiatives Support Corp. partnered to create the Cleveland Housing Investment Fund (CHIF), which is estimated to grow to $100 million. We provided seed funding for the CHIF, which will provide financing options to help build and preserve inclusive, affordable housing. The CHIF will invest in flexible-term debt primarily for the preservation of mixed-income rental housing, new construction, and for-sale affordable homes. The goal of the fund is to create between 2,500 and 3,000 affordable units, including a minimum of 100 units of for-sale housing.
The irony and tragedy of the “affordability” study and our calls for more affordable housing are that both are right. We live in one of the most affordable major housing markets in the world, yet so many of our neighbors can’t afford a home.
This is a problem we need to fix. Cleveland needs more affordable housing, and we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas.
Griffin is president of Cleveland City Council.