CHI Cleveland Humanity Investing
Affordable Housing Solutions to foster wealth accumulation.
Leader
Jason Miller
Location
Kinsman Cleveland , OH 44104
About the project
Cleveland Humanity Investing (CHI) empowers Clevelander’s with affordable housing, employment opportunities and wealth accumulation through the transformation of recyclables into homes for veterans, & the working poor built by up-skilled rehabilitated citizens.
CAREER
CHI increases access to micro business entrepreneurship, to create wealth-building opportunities. CHI seeks to prevent another link in the chain of generational poverty in Cleveland. A multifaceted approach to an astounding crissis in our communities. Breaking away from the traditional approach to career training we expose adults to alternatives to college and jobs with micro-entrepreneurial in-demand services trades and retail opportunities.
HOUSING
Families allocating more than thirty percent of earnings to housing are considered "Cost Burdened" and more than two in three Cleveland residents have difficulties affording necessities such as transportation, food, utilities, medical and clothing. Severe rent burden is defined as spending greater than half on housing making it nearly impossible for the working poor and homeless to reach financial stability. The transition from homelessness is the greatest barriers with the greates level of entry and continues to go under appreciated and funded.
WEALTH
Property rights and home ownership is a key to generating assets and accumulating wealth. Homes equipped with micro businesses have proven to generate living wages and uplift families from poverty. Mixed-use commercial properties maximize earning potential for large scale developers, and investment bankers. CHI’s flagship concept home consists of four recycled ISO containers transformed into a two mixed use prpertey appointed with three bedrooms and two bath upstairs and a unfinished space for future development. Incremental construction will allow owners to develop the area into a residual income opportunity as a dwelling, AirBnB or a retail/service outlet. empowering Clevelander's with an affordadwelling above two containers for the incremental fabrication of revenue-generating dwelling, retail, or service outlet.
The Steps
Establish legal nonprofit status
Secure cargotecture drawings
Land acquisition
Bid foundation and utility connection
Purchase containers
Tools, materials, and supplies
Why we‘re doing it
My life is an accident from the opportunities and generosity my family has afforded. A multi-decade observation from street level I recognize recidivism will never decrease until we give an alternative to the enormous barriers they face to unemployment and access to immediate housing. More than half of our Cleveland children are living in poverty as my lineage did just a generation ago. Through ownership, families can access affordable housing, generate living wages and accumulate assets and wealth. Someone started the ripple long ago for me and thus I feel obligated and indebted to shatter the chains of poverty with waves of opportunities for the next generation.