At LMM, we believe that housing is a human right, and we continually think outside of the box to create innovative solutions that empower the people we serve.
Through our solar-powered housing initiative, in partnership with Westlake-based housing enterprise PadSmart, LMM is transforming empty parcels on the east side of Cleveland into affordable, energy-efficient homes for unhoused individuals in our city to rebuild their lives. The units are energy-positive, producing at least as much energy as they consume, and will cost around $425 per month, roughly one-third of the price of fair market rent rates in the area.
While the solar-powered housing units are currently being built at PadSmart, LMM is still finding ways to amplify our impact throughout the process. Pasha, a resident at the LMM-operated Men’s Shelter on Lakeside Ave., was able to secure a job at PadSmart to assist with building homes for the solar-powered housing initiative. According to Nolan White, Men’s Shelter Substance Use Disorder Coordinator, Pasha “saw in him a determination to get on with his life.” Nolan added that “Pasha also regularly shares with me his progress: He is still working for PadSmart and also works for Area Temps. He opened a bank account and shared that he is saving to move into his own place.”
LMM believes that past experiences should not dictate outcomes in housing and employment, and Pasha’s story is a living example of that.
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This is an article published in LMM’s December 2024 Seeds of Change quarterly newsletter. To read the full newsletter and to subscribe, click the buttons below.
