A planned Cleveland drop-in center for young people experiencing homelessness will move to a different location after years of legal disputes over the proposed Franklin Boulevard site.
A Place 4 Me and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry announced that A Place 4 Me will assume full operational responsibility for the Youth Drop-In Center at an alternative location. The new site has not yet been publicly identified.
The organizations originally planned to operate the center at 4100 Franklin Boulevard on Cleveland’s near West Side. The proposal faced legal challenges from nearby residents after it was announced several years ago.
The planned center is intended to serve people ages 16 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Services are expected to include access to basic needs, youth navigation, housing resources, shelter connections, behavioral health support and other assistance.
The organizations say more than 500 young people experience homelessness in Cuyahoga County each year.
A Place 4 Me will become the center’s sole operator and plans to integrate the facility with its existing Youth Navigation team. The organization said it is actively working to open the new location.
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry will continue its charitable work at the Franklin Boulevard property and will remain a community partner with A Place 4 Me.
The original Franklin Boulevard proposal had been tied up in court for years. Some neighbors raised concerns about foot traffic, safety and the location of the facility in a residential area. Other residents supported the center and its services.
An appeals court ruling in August sent the Franklin Boulevard case back to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Soon afterward, the organizations announced the decision to pursue another site.
A Place 4 Me said additional information about the future location and opening of the Youth Drop-In Center will be released later.
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