joseph house of cleveland

Who We Are


Joseph House of Cleveland, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1997 to provide refugees resettling in Cleveland with affordable housing and a community of welcome. We are a small collaborative ministry with four Catholic supporting parishes- three urban and one suburban, whose pastors serve on our Board of Directors. The supporting parishes are Divine Word in Kirtland, St. Vitus, Immaculate Conception and St. Paul Croatian in Cleveland. We also operate a Clothing Bank where both incoming refugees and local neighbors in need can receive clothing, shoes, some housewares and toiletries at no cost.

Who We Serve


Joseph House serves refugees being resettled in the Cleveland area and local residents who are in need. We provide reasonable housing to refugees being assisted by Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) in five apartments that we have renovated. The other two resettlement agencies in Greater Cleveland- US Together and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)- also bring refugee clients to the Joseph House Clothing Bank. Over the years, 132 refugees have lived in a Joseph House apartment.

In addition to the refugee community, we also provide services to our neighbors in Cleveland. At Joseph House, no one is turned away. The St. Clair /Superior neighborhood where we are located continues to struggle, like so many inner-city communities. 79% of the residents are African American, 13 % are white and 5% are Hispanic. The poverty rate in this neighborhood is about 50%. We also serve clients from other Cleveland neighborhoods, including Glenville, Hough, East Cleveland, and Collinwood. In recent years, over 20 different social service and community assistance programs have referred clients to the Joseph House Clothing Bank, including various schools and parishes, The Centers for Families and Children, University Hospitals Rainbow Connects Program and the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Patient Navigator Program. In 2022, the Joseph House Clothing Bank served 1,283 local residents and 649 refugees.

For Clothing Bank Donations or Shopping Appointments, please call 216-431-7200