10/07/2026
Lower-income and working-class neighborhoods shouldn’t be treated as entries on somebody else’s investment spreadsheet. A joint investigation by ACORN and VAPAC into Riparian VPC Ohio SFR Portfolio, LLC found that 78% of the 153 Cleveland homes the company acquired have remained vacant for more than a year. Homes that could be providing housing are instead sitting empty and deteriorating.
And the costs don’t stop at the property line. More than 150 complaints and 180 civil tickets have been issued over code violations at these properties. Tenants have reported unsafe conditions, failing infrastructure, unpaid utility debt left behind by the landlord, and little or no communication when they need repairs. Meanwhile, neighbors are left living next to vacant, neglected properties that contribute to blight and disinvestment.
The question is pretty simple: Who is Cleveland supposed to work for? The people who live here, or investors who can buy up homes, leave them empty, and avoid responsibility for what happens next?
ACORN and VAPAC are demanding full interior and exterior inspections, a public nuisance lawsuit against properties that have been allowed to deteriorate, and a strong Tenants Bill of Rights. But none of this happens because someone writes a report and hopes City Hall takes notice. It happens when people organize.
If you live in Cleveland, join ACORN Cleveland today. Bring your neighbors. Build the organization. And help us fight for housing and neighborhoods that work for the people who actually live here.
Join here: https://civi.acorninternational.org/membership/
