community shelter board

The Community Shelter Board is beginning a five-year, $50.2-million effort it says is aimed at ending family homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County by 2031.

The funding is intended to address the increased need for shelter capacity for those experiencing homelessness in central Ohio.

The Columbus City Council amended the 2026 budget it passed on Monday to include $7.2 million for the Community Shelter Board.

The Community Shelter Board conducted its annual Point-in-Time homeless count on Thursday.

Columbus City Council approved legislation that will provide funding to support warming shelters for homeless people during extreme winter weather.

The Community Shelter Board is still finalizing funding, but plans to start the winter with the same number of beds and warming sites as it did last year.

Combined with the staggering 22% increase in homelessness in 2022, Franklin County is experiencing the largest cumulative increase in homelessness in the community’s history.

Unhoused people were living temporarily in the Loyalty Inn on Columbus' Far East Side after the city dismantled outdoor encampments late last year.

The proposed budget includes $5.9 million for homeless prevention — about $1.5 more than 2024 — but Community Shelter Board President Shannon Isom said that isn't enough.

A report requested by the Community Shelter Board found that Columbus and Franklin County have 26 affordable housing units for every 100 extremely low-income households.