The Cleveland Street Chronicle
The Cleveland Street Chronicle is a quarterly newspaper that is almost entirely written, distributed, and promoted by individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
The Cleveland Street Chronicle contains articles addressing issues of homelessness and poverty in the community and has continued to provide a much-needed voice for Cleveland's unhoused community since 1991.
Click here to view NEOCH's blog & The Cleveland Street Chronicle archive
Check out this short film on The Cleveland Street Chronicle sharing some of the stories of its vendors and the role the paper has played in their lives.
The Chronicle's History
The Street Chronicle was previously published for 16 years under the name Homeless Grapevine. The Homeless Grapevine in Cleveland was one of the first ten in the United States. Under its previous name, the publication received an honorable mention by the Knight-Batten Award Committee, which recognizes innovations in journalism.
Where Can I Buy the Street Chronicle?
A vendor can almost always be found at The West Side Market. They are also seen frequently at Public Square, on Euclid Ave., E. 9th St, or on Coventry. If you do not live near these areas or if you do not have a Street Chronicle vendor in your area, you can pay to have an issue mailed to you by contacting us.
How Do I Become A Street Chronicle Vendor?
Homeless or formerly homeless vendors purchase the papers for 25¢ and then sell them for $1.25. The profits they receive from selling the paper are their profits. Anyone can become a vendor. You do not have to be homeless to vend the paper. We try to recruit panhandlers and those living in the shelters, but anyone can sell the paper.
If you are interested in selling the Street Chronicle, here are the steps you need to take. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Call or message our office to give us your name and any contact information that you may have (contact information is not a requirement, but is helpful to us if you do have it).
You will come in for a brief training talk to discuss how the paper works and some of the requirements for street vending. All people who want to sell the paper must go through a training session. Trainings tend to be held at NEOCH's office on a weekly basis or as needed.
Once you attend the vendor training, you will receive a Temporary Vendor Badge, a few free papers to get you started, and you may begin selling papers. Your badge is permanent after selling 200 papers.
As a Street Chronicle Vendor, there is a code of conduct that you will be required to follow. Click here to read the Chronicle Vendor Contract.
How Can I Support the Street Newspaper in Cleveland?
First, we are always looking for volunteers to aid in the Chronicle's production. Promote social justice by helping with the layout, writing stories, conducting interviews, and other editorial duties as needed. Fill out the volunteer form, and a member of NEOCH will contact you.
Second, if you live in a suburban city, you can ask that they exempt the Chronicle from any street vending fee. Because of a bad US Appeals Court decision from 2000, cities are allowed to charge a fee so that a homeless person can sell the paper on the public streets. Yes, commerce has trumped the distribution of a person's speech on the streets of Ohio.
Lastly, you can send a donation to NEOCH. If you leave a note in your donation that the funds be used for The Street Chronicle, we will earmark your gracious donation exclusively for that.