New Climate Resilience Corps Pilot Program Coming to Hough and St. Clair

Cleveland is preparing to launch a new neighborhood stewardship initiative designed to strengthen community resilience and create local employment opportunities. Through emergency ordinance 400-2026, the Director of Finance, acting for the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, is authorized to apply for and accept philanthropic grants to fund the Cleveland Climate Resilience Corps. This pilot program, slated to run from August 2026 through July 2028, will focus on providing paid opportunities for youth and seniors to serve as trained members within the Hough and St. Clair neighborhoods.

According to the 400-2026-A File-Ap Ac Grant for Cleveland Climate Resilience Corp program, the program aims to deploy up to 20 participants to maintain green infrastructure, maintain a presence in local parks, and provide community support during emergencies, such as storm damage recovery or power outages. The initiative is a cross-departmental effort involving the Department of Parks & Recreation, Public Safety, and the Community Relations Board. The estimated grant funding is expected to range between $100,000 and $250,000. These funds are intended to cover living wage stipends of $16.26 per hour for participants, as well as costs for FEMA Community Emergency Response Training (CERT), green infrastructure training, personal protective equipment, and tools.

The ordinance has passed City Council, marking the next step toward securing the necessary philanthropic support to begin operations in late summer 2026. Residents can watch for updates regarding the specific grant amounts secured and the official recruitment process for the corps members as the program moves toward its August start date.

Source record

File
400-2026
Type
Emergency Ordinance
Status
Passed
Committee
City Council
Introduced
March 26, 2026

View on Cleveland Legistar

Official documents

Sources