When Columbus City Council adopted the city's 2026 operating budget on Monday, it included an additional $7.2 million for the Community Shelter Board for services to people experiencing homelessness.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's proposed funding for the shelter board was $5.7 million until the council amended the budget to provide more money.
Shannon Isom, president and CEO of the Community Shelter Board, said Tuesday the additional $7.2 million means the system won't have to struggle to provide services for the city's growing homeless population.
"So that means our safety net, our emergency shelter services are fully funded. What it does do is take the stress off of the shelters," Isom said.
Isom said the additional funding includes $1.5 million for winter warming centers in Columbus as the city's homeless population continues to rise.
"When a city grows, we think about all that being positive, but so do people who are in need grow as well," Isom said.
Isom said the extra money will relieve pressure on the crowded Van Buren Center in Franklinton, which serves up to 800 people a night.
