EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Michael Houser is one of the newest additions to the Cuyahoga County Council, assuming office Jan. 1.

As a councilmember, House said he advocates on behalf of six communities across the county, including Cleveland Heights, University Heights and East Cleveland.


What You Need To Know

  • East Cleveland has the lowest median family income in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau report.

  • The city was the most densely populated Cleveland suburb during the 1950s, transforming into a hub for transportation and commercial activity.

  • The Cuyahoga County Council and Cleveland Land Bank are now working together to rejuvenate the area and uplift the present-day community as part of the East Cleveland Revitalization Initiatve.

“So, the recent census came out, and it highlighted the challenges that East Cleveland has,” he said. “It's one of the poorest communities in the nation with the lowest minimum income.

With an average family income of around $23,000 per household, Houser said there is a great need for change in the city, and it starts with the Circle East District project. He said the council is working with the Cuyahoga County Land Bank to transform the area into a hub for economic activity, opportunities and entrepreneurship. One city official told Spectrum News 1 the crew is expecting to break ground on four homes by February and 12 townhomes in April, and will begin sewer line and sidewalk construction as soon as the winter season snowfall clears.

“We just passed 50,000 for the security of the area," Houser said. "We're looking to pass another 50,000 through our Community Development Committee, which I am the chair of, to really bring and incentivize people to come to East Cleveland to invest in East Cleveland.”

And, transformations are already underway.

“We have a cafe shop here," Houser said. "We have affordable, livable housing [and] apartment buildings. We're looking to build 200 new houses in East Cleveland.”

Ismail Samad is the cofounder of Loiter Café in East Cleveland – the first business to launch in the Circle East District.

“It was a strategic move to be a part of this first wave of development from outside folks ... we wanted to be a part of this while we're lifting up the folks who have been, you know, here for the long haul," Samad said.

Samad said they’re now working with local residents and groups to confront the realities of East Cleveland, even working their mission into the shop’s name: Loiter.

“You should be able to hang out in your communities. You shouldn't be criminalized,” he said. “Loiter is also an acronym stands for love, opportunity, investment, transformation, equity and reparations. So we believe in leading with those things.”

All shop items are locally grown and produced, purposely casting a light on the community’s contemporary resilience and prosperity, Samad said.

“We got a little market over here because there's no grocery store in East Cleveland,” Samad said. “The idea is to show we can take whatever spot we can – small, large, medium [or] teeny – so we call that a teeny tiny market. “

Embodying the project’s ultimate goal of building and maintaining wealth in East Cleveland.

“So everything is a circular economic model that keeps the dollars flowing within a community that's aligned to create what we see as an economic future that we deserve,” Samad said.

The cafe could be a catalyst for the Circle East project, House said, marking only the beginning of what’s to come.