Community Action Akron Summit launched a hot spot lending program for qualifying residents in public housing last week.
The program will provide 1,000 hotspots through a lending library managed by Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority providing high-speed internet access to up to 15 devices within one household.
“Bridging the digital divide in our community and reaching equality in online learning has been a primary goal in promoting self-sufficiency in the community we serve,” said CAAS President and CEO Malcolm J. Costa. “With the use of more and more technology, the digital divide increases and continues to exacerbate socioeconomic disparities for underserved populations.”
CAAS contributed $120,000 in Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) CARES funding for data communications to support service delivery. AMHA purchased the devices.
“We are proud to work with an organization who shares in AMHA’s vision of bridging the digital divide in our community,” said AMHA Executive Director Herman Hill. “This is an exciting opportunity to provide residents with resources that promote self-sufficiency and individual growth.”
The program was rolled out at the Summit Lake Apartments with distribution last week. Additional distributions are being scheduled. Families must be living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line and complete a brief application to use the lending library.
Coverage from Cleveland’s 19 News
