the housing problem would become acute.[131]
To assist in meeting the house shortage a group of prominent negroes
organized "The Realty Housing and Investment Company."[132]

The negro churches and other organizations cooperated in the effort
to solve the problem of caring for the newly arrived negroes. In
December, 1917, all the organizations and agencies working to aid
the migrants were united in the Negro Welfare Association of
Cleveland.[133] William R. Connors, a negro social worker, was
employed as executive secretary of the new organization, beginning
January 1, and offices were opened in the Phyllis Wheatley Association
Building at East 40th Street and Central Avenue. The budget for the
first year was estimated at about $5,000.

The organization acted as a clearing house for all the problems
confronting the negro people there and cooperated with other agencies
in the following activities: relief work, nursing service, legal aid,
employment, promoting thrift, providing recreation through the public
schools and otherwise, studying the delinquency problem, caring for
discharged prisoners in cooperation with the workhouse and promoting
community singing. It investigated the social conditions among
negroes, with a view to establishing those agencies which are needed,
or to point out the needs to the organization already established. It
endeavored to educate the negro public to a full appreciation of the
possibilities of a definite social program and to its responsibility
for seeing that it is carried out.

In June, 1916, a call was issued for a statewide conference of
representative white and colored people to be held at the capital of
the State, Columbus, on July 12, 1916, to take steps toward caring for
the 100,000 negro migrants believed to have remained in Ohio. Among
those who signed the call were J. Walter Wills, President of Cleveland
Association of Colored Men; Reverend H.C. Bailey, President of
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; W.S.
Scarborough, President of Wilberforce University; Charles Johnson,
Superintendent of Champion Chemical Company, Springfield, and Edward
T. Banks, member of Charter Commission, Dayton.[134] The mayors of
Ohio cities named delegates to the conference. At this conference the
Ohio Federation for the Uplift of the Colored People was formed,
and an extensive program designed to improve economic and social
conditions was outlined. Branches of the Federation