The City of Cleveland, Ohio is advancing its 10-year Equitable Housing Plan to address historical housing inequities and expand homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income residents and communities of color. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop strategic recommendations to align housing production initiatives with financial services that increase access to capital for homebuyers and homeowners. Ultimately, this work will help the City increase affordable homeownership opportunities, build inter-generational wealth, and create a more inclusive and equitable future for all residents.

Fellowship Dates: April 28, 2025 – April 24, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Like many cities, Cleveland, Ohio faces significant housing challenges rooted in historical patterns of disinvestment and inequitable practices, which have had a disproportionate impact on low- to moderate-income residents and communities of color. Despite ongoing efforts to improve housing opportunities, many Cleveland residents from historically underserved communities continue to face barriers to homeownership and stable housing, including limited access to affordable housing, financial services, and mortgage products.

The city's aging housing stock, which includes many architecturally significant properties, requires significant repairs in many cases, contributing to housing insecurity. Neighborhoods that have historically experienced underinvestment, such as those on the East side of the city, are now grappling with rising housing costs and a need for new affordable housing development. These factors have led to concerns about displacement and widening economic disparities among different communities.

Cleveland has also seen a shift from homeownership to renting for many residents. This change has created heightened demand for affordable housing options, particularly for residents earning below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

The City of Cleveland is building strong momentum in addressing its housing challenges through a series of ambitious initiatives. The City of has developed a comprehensive 10-year Equitable Housing Plan (Cleveland 2030: A Housing Equity Plan), which sets ambitious goals to produce and preserve 30,000 affordable housing units by 2030, including 4,500 for-sale homes targeted to residents earning below 80% AMI. The city has already raised $38 million toward a $100 million goal for new single-family housing through initiatives like the Cleveland Housing Investment Fund (CHIF), a partnership with KeyBank and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). These efforts focus on expanding affordable housing opportunities and addressing the need for significant home repairs and revitalization in aging communities, particularly in historically underserved neighborhoods. They are also working to identify barriers to housing capital through initiatives like Cleveland City Start, a program from the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund. In addition, the City’s Integrated Development Cluster (IDC)—a collaborative working group comprised of the Departments of Building and Housing and Economic Development, and the City Planning Commission—is working to align housing stability strategies, expand access to financial services, and ensure new housing development is equitably distributed across the city.

The City of Cleveland will partner with FUSE to advance the 10-year Equitable Housing Plan by developing strategic recommendations to align housing production initiatives with financial services that increase access to capital and housing options for low to moderate income residents. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a listening tour and landscape analysis of existing services and initiatives; develop strategic recommendations to enhance residents’ access to homeownership resources; and engage with key stakeholders to attract investment and create innovative financial products that meet the needs of low- to moderate-income homebuyers. Ultimately, this will help Cleveland improve housing stability, increase homeownership opportunities, and foster long-term, equitable access to affordable housing, ensuring a more inclusive and prosperous future for all residents.

Recognizing the link between housing affordability, economic empowerment, and community development, the City of Cleveland is committed to creating diverse housing options to attract and retain residents while also supporting current homeowners in building equity and remaining in their homes over the long-term.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in May 2025, the Executive Fellow will conduct a comprehensive listening tour involving key stakeholders such as the Integrated Development Cluster (IDC), Cleveland Housing Investment Fund (CHIF), CFE Fund, LISC, financial institutions, and community organizations that serve Cleveland’s historically underserved populations. This will help identify opportunities for collaboration and investment that can help align housing production initiatives with strategies to help residents access capital. Importantly, the Executive Fellow will work with the Office of Fair Housing to encourage diversity and inclusivity throughout this process to ensure a range of perspectives and expertise are present that center low-income households and communities of color, and proactively seek to serve the interest of those communities.

The Executive Fellow will analyze the City’s current housing initiatives and financial services landscape, focusing on existing programs and financial products for residents earning <80% AMI. They will research programs and best practices from other cities that have successfully expanded affordable housing access. Based on these collected insights, the Executive Fellow and Department staff will outline priorities, specific project goals, and deliverables for the remainder of the Fellowship.

The Executive Fellow will then work to determine the proper balance of various financial services and housing production initiatives for individuals and communities (e.g. building new manufactured housing vs infill housing, expanding access to mortgage lending products vs. home repair loan products). Based on these analyses, the Fellow will develop strategic recommendations to 1) ensure low- to moderate-income residents have access to the financial tools needed to gain and maintain stable housing, and 2) drive additional investment in affordable housing production projects. Working with the Office of Bank Relations, the Executive Fellow will then work to shape how strategic partnerships with financial institutions, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and philanthropic organizations are operationalized to encourage them to execute these strategies by investing in affordable housing projects and developing innovative financial products tailored to the needs of Cleveland residents.

The Executive Fellow will collaborate closely with IDC members to ensure alignment between these recommendations and other financial services and housing stability strategies. They will also work together to develop a legislative agenda to support the long-term implementation of the 10-year Equitable Housing Plan. This will involve regular meetings with key departments to align initiatives, share data, and identify opportunities for collaborative efforts. Additionally, the Executive Fellow will work closely with the FUSE Fellow in the Office of Fair Housing to integrate fair housing principles into all financial product expansion strategies, ensuring equitable outcomes for Cleveland’s most vulnerable populations.

By the project’s conclusion, the Executive Fellow will have established long-term strategies for sustainable access to capital and homeownership, thereby ensuring that low- to moderate-income residents have the financial tools and resources to achieve stable, affordable housing. They will also have developed a comprehensive operational plan to implement their strategic recommendations, secured key partnerships to help execute them, and fostered cross-departmental collaboration within IDC. The Executive Fellow will lay the groundwork for sustainable progress by identifying long-term goals, milestones, and monitoring systems to ensure continued program success. This will include engaging with key stakeholders to ensure buy-in and continued investment in the City’s affordable housing initiatives, ensuring they are well-positioned to serve residents for years to come.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

By April 2026, the Executive Fellow will have produced the following:

  • Strategic Recommendations for Expanding Access to Financial Services: Developed recommendations for financial tools specifically designed for Cleveland’s low- to moderate-income residents that will improve their access to the financial resources necessary for homeownership and long-term housing stability.
  • Investment Attraction and Partnership Strategy: In partnership with the Bank Relations Manager, designed a strategy to attract additional investment in affordable housing production from financial institutions, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and philanthropic organizations. This strategy will foster partnerships and encourage innovative financial products that drive affordable housing development and increase access to capital for homebuyers.
  • Collaboration Framework for Interdepartmental Coordination: Established an ongoing framework for collaboration between the IDC, community organizations, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to align housing production initiatives with financial services strategies. This framework will ensure consistent coordination, data sharing, and collective impact.
  • Legislative Agenda and data collection plan for Equitable Housing: Created a legislative agenda that supports the long-term implementation of the 10-year Equitable Housing Plan, ensuring alignment with and accountability for IDC goals and city policies to advance access to affordable housing for underserved communities.
  • Sustainability Plan for Housing and Financial Services Initiatives: Developed a sustainability plan with clear long-term goals, milestones, and monitoring systems that ensure continued success in expanding access to capital and affordable housing, while aligning with the city’s broader housing goals.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor – Alyssa Hernandez, Director of Community Development
  • Project Supervisor – Arin Miller-Tait, Bureau Chief for Community Programming

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.