The Columbus Dispatch: Amid record homelessness, Columbus triples funding homeless outreach
Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch
The city of Columbus has nearly tripled its funding for the Community Shelter Board in 2024, using COVID pandemic relief money to shelter vulnerable groups and to increase staffing.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council President Shannon Hardin announced Wednesday that the city was investing $9.4 million in the Community Shelter Board (CSB), nearly tripling the city’s yearly funding for the nonprofit that is combatting the homelessness crisis, according to a release.
The newly announced money, which comes from the city's share of federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds, is in addition to the $5.5 million allocated in the 2024 budget — bringing this year’s city investment with the shelter board to a total of $14.9 million. The money will help increase staffing at homeless shelters and help reduce homelessness among families and pregnant women.
In the release, Ginther said, "homelessness is a complex issue, and not one the city can fight alone."
"We need our public and private partners in the region to step up so we can provide safe shelter for those living on the land today, and also get ahead of the growing issue in the future," Ginther said.
The Community Shelter Board, established in 1986, is a nonprofit organization that served approximately 15,000 people last year with homelessness shelter, prevention, street outreach, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing, according to the CSB website. It is funded by the the city of Columbus, Franklin County, and other public and nonprofit organizations.
A 2023 "point-in-time" count showed an all-time high for the issue of homelessness, the city said. Columbus’ homeless population increased by 46%, with a 22% overall increase in residents in shelters and nontraditional housing.
Hardin said as Columbus grows, it has reached a critical point in addressing the housing crisis.
“Columbus has reached the stage in its growth when our housing crisis is becoming a homelessness crisis, and big city problems require big city solutions," Hardin said.
The influx of funding will help the CSB bridge budget shortfalls and address rising costs due to inflation, according to Shannon Isom, CSB president and CEO. With these resources, the shelter board will finance services delivered by affiliates, including investing in staffing at shelters, which have been at capacity for much of the winter. They plan to prioritize decreasing homelessness among families and pregnant women.
“Frontline responders in shelters are crucial in providing around-the-clock support, safeguarding public health, and serving as a safety net for our community," Isom said.
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