New Climate Resilience Corps Pilot Program Coming to Hough and St. Clair
Cleveland is preparing to launch a neighborhood stewardship initiative 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, scheduled to run from August 2026 through July 2028, will provide paid opportunities for youth and seniors to work within their neighborhoods.
What's in the file
The legislation authorizes the city to seek and spend philanthropic grant funding, estimated between $100,000 and $250,000, to establish and operate the Cleveland Climate Resilience Corps. According to the 400-2026-A File-Ap Ac Grant for Cleveland Climate Resilience Corp program, the program is designed to deploy trained members to maintain green infrastructure, maintain a presence in parks, and provide community-level support during emergencies like storm damage recovery or power outages.
The funding is intended to cover:
- Living wage stipends for up to 20 participants
- FEMA Community Emergency Response Training (CERT)
- Entry-level green infrastructure training with city staff
- Resilience and sustainability training
- Personal protective equipment and tools
- Vendor or overtime pay for city safety staff to conduct CERT exercises
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Participant Stipend | $16.26 hr. |
| Maximum Participants | 20 |
| Estimated Grant Range | $100,000 – $250,000 |
Who may be affected
- Hough and St. Clair neighborhoods: These areas are the primary targets for the corps' stewardship and emergency support activities.
- Youth and seniors: Identified as the focus groups for the paid, intergenerational stewardship program.
- Department of Parks & Recreation: Partner department involved in program implementation.
- Public Safety: Partner department involved in program implementation and CERT exercises.
- Community Relations Board: Partner department involved in program implementation.
Status and timeline
- March 27, 2026: Ordinance 400-2026 was introduced.
- August 2026: Anticipated start date for the pilot program.
- July 2028: Anticipated conclusion of the two-year pilot period.
The pilot's outcomes are intended to build an evidence base for potentially integrating the program into the City operating budget beginning in Fiscal Year 2029.
Residents can verify these details by reviewing the official record for Ordinance No. 400-2026 through the Cleveland City Council website.
Source record
- File
- 400-2026
- Type
- Emergency Ordinance
- Status
- Passed
- Committee
- City Council
- Introduced
- March 26, 2026
Official documents
- 400-2026-A File-Ap Ac Grant for Cleveland Climate Resilience Corp program
- 400-2026 Ap Ac Grant for Cleveland Climate Resilience Corp program
- 400-2026 FINAL VERSION-CITY RECORD MAY 22, 2026 PG. 109