Neighborhood groups across Cleveland say the checks they were promised for violence-prevention and restorative-justice work still have not arrived, months after the Community Police Commission signed off on awards. The holdup, they say, is already scrambling summer programming and staffing plans at small nonprofits that were counting on the money.
As reported by FOX 8 I-Team, the commission approved roughly $2 million for neighborhood organizations, but had not released the funds. Executive Director Shalenah “Shelly” Williams attributed the delay to government red tape and told reporters payments would begin in six to eight weeks. The commission’s own contact page lists Shalenah “Shelly” Williams as executive director, confirming her role on the agency website, according to the Cleveland Community Police Commission.
Council Vote Could Finally Unlock the Money
The Cleveland City Council agenda lists an emergency ordinance that would authorize the Community Police Commission or the city’s finance director to enter into the grant agreements and make related transfers. The documents are filed as 658-2026, along with a related transfer ordinance, 659-2026. Those items were placed on the May 18 agenda, and the meeting record states that the council planned to reconvene on Monday, June 1, when the transfer and contracts could be taken up, according to the Cleveland City Council.
Commission Says the Grants Are Ready to Go
The commission’s own press materials state that it selected dozens of local nonprofits and hired the United Black Fund to manage the awards. A commission news release also noted that the body planned to begin distributing its 2024 grants by the end of June and that the cycle would deliver more than $1 million to local programs, according to the Cleveland Community Police Commission.
Why Community Groups Are Skeptical
For small organizations, the delay is more than a paperwork nuisance. Leaders say late payments can mean cancelled hires, postponed events, and stretched-thin reserves that were never meant to float grant-funded work for months at a time.
The commission’s uneven early history, which included repeated searches for permanent leadership and turnover at the top, has also left some groups wary of big promises from oversight bodies. That pattern has been documented in detail by Signal Cleveland and was raised again in local coverage of the FOX 8 I-Team investigation.
What happens next: Council is scheduled to be in session on Monday, June 1, and neighborhood leaders say they will be watching closely for any vote or transfer that could finally clear the payment logjam. The commission continues to say that lingering paperwork and sign-offs, rather than any lack of money, are behind the delay. Residents and grantees are calling for clear, public timelines along with posted contracts and payment schedules so organizations can plan their work without guessing, according to the Cleveland City Council.
