I Promise School Program is a Family Affair

Akron’s I Promise program is a family affair that has gone full circle, from schooling to housing.

The I Promise School currently has 343 third- to eighth-grade students. The iconic school building has a Family Resource Center, a legal resource, a community room and a food pantry for all I Promise families.

With the theme “We are Family,” Akron native and NBA basketball player LeBron James founded the LeBron James Family Foundation in 2004 to provide Akron-area students with the resources and support to help them succeed. The foundation then partnered with Akron Public Schools to open the I Promise School in 2018.

“LeBron James is always asking what is next, what more can we do; so it is really based on what more can we do for our families,” said Stephanie Myers Bussan, director of community partnerships for the LeBron James Family Foundation. “We don’t have a five-year plan; we just respond to our community, and housing was an area of concern.

“The one thing we kept hearing from our foundation’s family is how hard it is to break into the housing industry because mostly transitional housing was available. We heard, ‘I really want long-term housing, more permanent housing. I want to be able to sign a lease with a trusted landlord.’ ”

Cheryl Stephens, president and CEO of the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation (EANDC), listened, too.

Conversations began with Stephens as a potential housing partner. EANDC is the housing expert in Summit County committed to providing affordable housing.

“I reached out to the Foundation in the fall of 2019. At the opening of the I Promise School, (LeBron) James said one of the things that school does for a kid is that it gives them a place to dream and hope and believe. It was a build-up to what school can mean,” Stephens said. “James talked about sleeping on couches and living with different people and how a stable home and decent night’s sleep help children do better in school.”

Both non-profit agencies had the same goal, to create a safe and stable environment for families.

The foundation wanted to expand its efforts and offer affordable housing to all families in the community, not just limiting housing to I Promise families.

“That was our big step, engaging the Akron community in the foundation’s work and having our work wrap around the community,” said Myers Bussan.

“When it comes to accessing resources, that is where the foundation comes in. We partner with experts in areas, such as education with Akron Public Schools and housing with EANDC, to open the doors and build a footprint so everybody will be able to access those resources.”

Stephens said the project moved pretty quickly, including approval of a funding source for low-income tax credits, which is only offered once a year. The tax credits provided $10-$11 million. EANDC applied for the funding in February 2020 and was awarded the money in May 2020

But Stephens said things came to a halt after the pandemic struck. The delay caused construction costs to shoot up, and project costs went from $13.5 million to $16.2 million.

She credits the partnering of two financial institutions, Huntington and Premier, for helping with construction financing and permanent funds.

EANDC broke ground for the housing project in November 2021, cut the ribbon in June of 2023; and, by the end of August 2023, the apartment complex had reached 100 percent occupancy.

The 50-unit apartment complex is located at the corner of Rhodes Avenue and Maple Street, about seven long blocks from the I Promise School. The 2-to-4-bedroom apartment units have a 24/7 laundry room on each floor. The building also has handicapped-accessible and sensory-impaired units.

The first floor of the apartment complex has a community room, a training room, a study room, a lounge area, a bike room, a fitness center (yoga mats for now but working on obtaining exercise equipment), offices for staff and parking.

The building has a security system. You must call the tenant for permission to enter the building, and tenants need a passcode to enter.

EANDC property manager LaKeyta Clark-Palmer said, currently, there are 54 adults and 89 children who occupy the apartment building. Section 8 vouchers are accepted. The rent ranges from $347 to $1,118 each month, based on income and family size and according to the Federal Poverty Guidelines.