June 26, 2012 [Kelli Fitzpatrick]
The Cuyahoga Land Bank is partnering with a nonprofit group to employ formerly incarcerated fathers in house renovation projects.
Two men will be screened and selected to attend four to five weeks classes to learn life skills and financial literacy, before moving on to help renovate the properties in Cuyahoga County. After they renovate three homes for a total of six months, the program will recommend them to contractors for future work.
Dennis Roberts is director of programs and property management for the Land Bank. He says after completing the construction internship, the fathers will be more prepared to re-enter society.
“When a father is unable or can’t contribute from an economic standpoint, his ability to be an effective father is diminished. And we thought one of the ways we could help counteract that kind of problem is to position fathers to be able to economically support their family and hence put them in the best position to be a productive citizen.”
The Cuyahoga Land Bank was the first land bank in Ohio and renovates, demolishes and sells blighted properties.