As the number of families with children needing Cleveland-area pediatric medical care continues to grow, Ronald McDonald House Cleveland (RMH) has been unable to keep pace with demand for their low-cost residential and supportive services – turning away some 600 families each year due to lack of available rooms. An $11.2 million, 20,000 sq. ft. expansion added 17 new guest rooms to the current 37. Finance Fund provided RMH with $9.2 million in federal and $2.56 million in state New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) toward the construction project, which employed 40 workers. The Cleveland area served by this project has a 30.5 percent poverty rate and 17.3 percent unemployment.
- In addition to new guest rooms, the project:
- Renovated and reconfigured existing guest rooms
- Increased the number of handicap accessible rooms from two to 16
- Added office, meeting and storage space to accommodate growing program needs
- Added two new common areas for families to relax, and a bigger recreation room to meet the needs of ill children and their siblings