Our homeless system and homeless population have been in the news a lot lately. I wanted to take a moment to clear up some misconceptions and answer a few questions we’ve been hearing.
How many homeless people are in Cincinnati?
When we talk about people experiencing homelessness we look at people in shelter or on the street. Last year in Cincinnati 7,197 people experienced homelessness. Of those, 93% entered shelter and most are families with children in a program and waiting for housing.
Why are so many people on the street lately?
About 7% of our homeless population sleep outdoors or in places not meant for habitation. Camps like those on Third Street are very visible in the summer giving the impression that population is increasing. In fact, the number of people sleeping on the street has decreased by 40%.
Are the shelters full?
We have 675 permanent shelter beds in Hamilton County and add beds during peak demand (winter for single individuals, summer for families). Our shelters have been operating over capacity.
Are they turning people away?
People who show up at the door sleep on mattresses on the floor. But the people who were in the camps aren’t coming to the door. So, everyone is correct: shelters are over capacity and people on the street could go into shelter.
What’s the answer to ending homelessness?
Lawsuits are not the answer. People opting to stay on the street is not the answer. One answer is more affordable housing. It doesn’t cost as much as people think. And preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place is always our goal. On average, preventative services are only a quarter as expensive as providing services and resources to individuals and families once they have become homeless.
As always we thank you for your support of our work and the work of our many agency partners working to end homelessness. If you have any questions, comments please reach out kfinn@end-homelessness.org.
Thank you,
Kevin Finn
President/CEO
Strategies to End Homelessness
P.S. We will continue to share news and updates here on our website and social media as we work with our partners and City and County leaders to create new solutions to end homelessness in Cincinnati. Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
