Preparing Lakewood: Housing, Community, and Climate Migration

As climate change intensifies in the coming decades, millions of Americans could move away from the regions most severely impacted and towards less vulnerable areas, like Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Communities such as Lakewood may find themselves balancing planning for potential newcomers with addressing long-standing issues like housing affordability and aging infrastructure.

Historically home to a much larger population, Lakewood now retains multi-family housing, walkable neighborhoods, and transit infrastructure meant to serve thousands more residents. But the city’s housing stock is old, with the median home built in 1918, and the market struggles with a high vacancy rate, even as local real estate prices have climbed sharply over the past decade. While some local leaders believe that the region is “ready for population return,” climate migration inflows could exacerbate housing affordability challenges, push out current residents, and stretch public services if there is not proactive planning around future growth. The residents most at risk—lower-income households and communities vulnerable to gentrification—must have a voice in shaping how Lakewood and Cuyahoga County prepare.

Getting ahead of these challenges now, with local residents at the center, is what climate migration readiness looks like.

Please join the Future of Land and Housing program at New America and the Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability on Thursday, October 22nd for a community-centered scenario planning event to explore how the City of Lakewood and its county partners can prepare for potential climate migration.

We’ll bring together a diverse group of residents, advocates, researchers, nonprofit service providers, planners, and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities that climate migration could create for Lakewood, with a focus on affordable housing and community development. You could be on the ground floor to begin envisioning the policies and programs that benefit long-time residents while also preparing the community for any future changes.

The session is scheduled for Thursday, October 22nd from 9:30am to 1:30pm Eastern at [location].

The planned agenda will include a mix of lightning talks, breakout sessions, and larger group discussion, with an emphasis on active participation and dialogue. Session outputs will inform recommendations to help determine how Lakewood and similar communities in Cuyahoga County can successfully absorb climate migrants without displacing existing residents.

Speakers to be announced. A light breakfast, drinks, and snacks will be provided.

Additional information will be shared in the coming weeks. Please RSVP by Tuesday, October 13th. Email Tim Robustelli ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

This event is made possible thanks to generous support from Unbound Philanthropy.