Homelessness in Ohio

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A man walking down alley in Newark, Ohio

The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, produced by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, estimated that 10,654 Ohioans faced homelessness during the year, representing 9 in every 10,000 individuals. [1] Over 80% of the homeless were sheltered. [1] This population was made up of 3,214 people who belonged to families with children, 703 unaccompanied youth, 633 veterans, and 1,023 chronically homeless individuals. [1]

Contents

Homelessness in Ohio has been declining, as Ohio ranks as one of the U.S. states with lower rates of homelessness and has a strong support system in place for the homeless population. [1] Although unchanged in recent years, the 2022 homeless population in Ohio saw a 5.4% decrease from 2007. [1] The AHAR concluded that since 2007, Ohio had seen the fourth largest decrease by state in chronic homelessness, with 1,285, or 55.7%, of the chronically homeless population escaping the cycle. [1] However, all three major cities in Ohio experienced increased homeless populations due to housing shortages in 2023. [2] [3] [4]

In a 1986 study of nearly 1,000 homeless individuals in Ohio, it was determined that Ohio's homeless population was quite different from traditional homeless communities. Most of the studied individuals had lived in no more than two places in the month before the study, with 65% of them having either been born in the county they lived in or lived in that county for at least a year. [5] Furthermore, 87% of the population had held a job in the past, and 25% had been working in the month before being interviewed. [5]

Possible causes

Housing

The Ohio housing situation is facing a crisis, with housing costs increasing dramatically and availability declining. Government census data estimates that population growth (1.74%) has outpaced the increase in housing units (1.66%) over the last five years. [6] For low-income families, affordable housing has been difficult to find, as for every 100 low-income households, only 80 affordable units exist. [7] Furthermore, the median price for a house in 2019 was 2.4 times the median household income, pushing home ownership out of reach even for middle-income individuals. [7] The quality of housing has also been declining: 50% of houses in Ohio were built before 1965, and 30% of available housing was built before 1940. In 2015, an estimated 4% of Ohioans lived in a house that was deemed structurally inadequate, representing over 200,000 housing units. [8]

Corporations [9] [10] [11] are putting additional stress on the housing market, as these companies are purchasing an increasing number of Ohio homes to rent out for profit. [12] In 2021, institutional investors were responsible for 16% of the home buyer market, the sixth highest rate in the country. [13] Ohio Senator Louis Blessing warned in June 2023 that, by 2040, 40-50% of homes could be owned by corporations. [12] Corporations reducing home ownership and driving up prices has led to billions of dollars in wealth lost, disproportionately affecting low-income individuals. [14]

A 2022 study concluded that this housing shortage was likely underestimated, as study methodologies considered the number of houses that would have been built following historical trends, failing to account for supply and demand constraints that affected those rates. Thus, the housing shortage may be more significant than the data appears to show. [15]

Support

Youth

As of 2019, around 35,000 students struggled with homelessness at some point during the school year. This included 374 unsheltered youth, 5,209 sheltered students, nearly 2,000 living in hotels or motels, and over 25,000 with shared living agreements. This was partially attributed in a 2022 study to an increase in housing costs coupled with low construction and vacancy. [16]

The McKinney-Vento Law was designed to support homeless youth in Ohio. The law gives students the right to enrollment, transportation, and support, among other things. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided additional funds for students, with Ohio receiving nearly $30 million. This money went to 30 different school districts to serve as a short-term solution in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. [17]

Major cities

Columbus

Columbus has been facing a significant homelessness issue, trending in the opposite direction of the overall state. The homeless population totaled 2,036 in 2019. This reflected roughly a 7% increase from 2018, including a 17.5% decrease in the sheltered homeless population. Columbus' homeless population is made up of 35.3% of families with children and 3.7% of homeless youth. [18]

In 2018, the Columbus City Council passed ordinance 1777–2018, a measure aimed to find an alternative way to curb panhandling in the face of the Supreme Court's Reed v. Town of Gilbert ruling. [19] This ordinance, while not banning panhandling, made it illegal to distribute money in the roadway, stand within close proximity to someone operating an ATM, and attempt to initiate distribution by touching or grabbing somebody. Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown described it as "not an attack on poverty or homelessness, but a measure to provide protections for those who give and those who receive". [20]

Cleveland

In 2017, around 23,000 people in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is located) faced homelessness, with Cleveland Public School District being home to nearly 2,750 homeless students. This is compounded by the fact that Cuyahoga County has seen the number of sheltered beds drop by 444 and a waitlist of over 21,000. [21]

To address this problem, Cuyahoga County's Department of Health and Human Services released a four-year action plan in January 2023. This plan seeks to decrease the homeless population in the county by 25%. Some of the steps outlined include improving accessibility to homelessness prevention services, short-term shelters, more affordable housing, and bolstering the department's resources. [22]

In 2017, Cleveland repealed its anti-panhandling laws. Faced with a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of John Mancini, a US veteran, the city repealed laws against panhandling. [23] The city council also significantly reformed laws restricting pedestrians near roadways, removing any language referring to panhandling specifically.

Cincinnati

In 2021, Cincinnati had a total of 6,062 homeless individuals, representing a 14% reduction since 2019. This population housed in emergency shelters dropped by 16% since 2019, to 5,603 individuals. There has been a 10% drop in the unsheltered homeless population since 2020 and a 46% decrease since 2013. Of this homeless population, 23%, or 1,381 are children. [24]

The city in June 2023 allocated a $2.1 million grant for the Human Services Fund, a company that plans to use data analytics to identify and address patterns in the Cincinnati homeless population. In addition, the organization will work with landlords across the city to improve accessibility to affordable housing. [25]

Cincinnati's City Ordinance 910-12 outlines circumstances in which panhandling is banned, including soliciting from individuals on public transportation, within 20 feet of any financial institution or ATM, on private property, and from those getting into their vehicles. Violating this ordinance is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is bumped up to third-degree after three violations. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Ohio is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.8 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and most populous city is Columbus, with other large population centers including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Toledo. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 71</span> Interstate Highway in Ohio and Kentucky

Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the midwestern and southeastern regions of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-64 and I-65 in Louisville, Kentucky, and its northern terminus at an interchange with I-90 in Cleveland, Ohio. I-71 runs concurrently with I-75 from a point about 20 miles (32 km) south of Cincinnati, Ohio, into Downtown Cincinnati. While most odd numbered Interstates run north–south, I-71 takes more of a northeast–southwest course, with some east–west sections, and is mainly a regional route serving Kentucky and Ohio. It links I-80 and I-90 to I-70 and ultimately links to I-40. Major metropolitan areas served by I-71 include Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Bedford is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,149 at the 2020 census. It is an eastern suburb of Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Heights, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in the United States</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Affordable housing</span> Housing affordable to those with a median household income

Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median, as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on affordable housing refers to mortgages and a number of forms that exist along a continuum – from emergency homeless shelters, to transitional housing, to non-market rental, to formal and informal rental, indigenous housing, and ending with affordable home ownership. Demand for affordable housing is generally associated with a decrease in housing affordability, such as rent increases, in addition to increased homelessness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homeownership in the United States</span> Percentage of homes owned by their occupants

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Affordable housing in Canada</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in Vancouver</span> Social crisis in Vancouver

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in Florida</span>

According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, as of January 2017, there are an estimated 32,190 homeless individuals in Florida. Of this high number, 2,846 are family households, 2,019 are unaccompanied young adults, 2,817 are veterans, and an estimated 5,615 are individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. According to a January 2020 count, this figure was 27,487 on any given day, a decrease from previous years. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as of December 2022, the estimate for homeless individuals has dropped to 25,959, about 5% of the total U.S. population. This is in spite of fears that moratorium's on evictions ending could lead to an increase in the homeless population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in the United States by state</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in Colorado</span>

Homelessness is a growing problem in Colorado and is considered the most important social determinants of health. Homelessness is very difficult for many Coloradoans to escape due to the continuous increase in costs for housing in Colorado, along with mental health treatments and other factors. When people are forced to live without stable shelter, they are then exposed to a number of risk factors that affect physical and mental health. Although it is difficult to pin point any one cause of homelessness, there is a complicated combination of societal and individual causes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in California</span>

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that more than 181,399 people were experiencing homelessness in California in January 2023. This is one of the highest per capita rates in the nation, with 0.46% of residents estimated as being homeless. More than two-thirds of homeless people in California are unsheltered, which is the highest percentage of any state in the United States. 49% of the unsheltered homeless people in the United States live in California. Even those who are sheltered are so insecurely, with 90% of homeless adults in California reporting that they spent at least one night unsheltered in the past six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelessness in Oregon</span>

In 2016, a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that the U.S. state of Oregon had an estimated homeless population of 13,238 with about 60.5% of these people still unsheltered. In 2017, these numbers were even higher. As of January 2017, Oregon has an estimated 13,953 individuals experiencing homelessness. Of this homeless population, 1,083 are family households, 1,251 are veterans, 1,462 are unaccompanied young adults, and 3,387 are individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. As of 2022, 17,959 people total experienced homelessness in Oregon, with 2,157 individuals being youth under 18, 6,671 being female, 10,931 being male, and 131 being transgender. Also among the 17,959 total homeless in 2022, 15,876 were Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino, 2,083 were Hispanic/Latino, 13,960 were white, 1,172 were Black, African American, or African, 101 were Asian or Asian American, 880 were Native American, and those of multiple race were 1,619. Oregon has seen an increase in its total homeless population consistently every year since 2010. In last three years specifically Oregon has seen a 98.5% increase 2021-2022, 22.5% increase 2020-2021, and a 13.1% increase 2019-2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California housing shortage</span> Extended and increasing shortage since 1970

Since about 1970, California has been experiencing an extended and increasing housing shortage, such that by 2018, California ranked 49th among the states of the U.S. in terms of housing units per resident. This shortage has been estimated to be 3-4 million housing units as of 2017. As of 2018, experts said that California needs to double its current rate of housing production to keep up with expected population growth and prevent prices from further increasing, and needs to quadruple the current rate of housing production over the next seven years in order for prices and rents to decline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing in the United States</span> Overview of housing in the United States

Housing in the United States comes in a variety of forms and tenures. The rate of homeownership in the United States, as measured by the fraction of units that are owner-occupied, was 64% as of 2017. This rate is less than the rates in other large countries such as China (90%), Russia (89%) Mexico (80%), or Brazil (73%).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 De Sousa, Tanya, Alyssa Andrichik, Marissa Cuellar, Jhenelle Marson, Ed Prestrera, and Katherine Rush. "The 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress: Part 1 Point-In-Time Estimates of Homelessness." Washington DC: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Community Planning and Development (2022).
  2. ↑ "Concerns mount as new homeless encampments emerge in downtown Cleveland". wkyc.com. October 5, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ "How many Columbus people are unhoused? The Community Shelter Board releases annual count". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Affordable Housing". Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. January 9, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Roth, Dee; Bean, Jerry (1986). "The Ohio study: A comprehensive look at homelessness". Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal. 9 (4): 31–38. doi:10.1037/h0099151. ISSN   0147-5622.
  6. ↑ "Housing Units, Population and Cost Rank Measures for | Department of Numbers". www.deptofnumbers.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "2021 Ohio Housing Needs Assessment Executive Summary". ohiohome.org. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Housing Stock: Housing Needs Assessment | Ohio Housing Finance Agency". ohiohome.org. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "A corporate landlord in Ohio pushes to evict tenants, critics say". NBC News. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Horn, Dan. "Port buys almost 200 family homes for $14.5 million from struggling out-of-town landlord". The Enquirer. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ Rantala, Lisa (July 27, 2023). "Homeownership dropping in Ohio as corporations target single-family homes to rent". WSYX. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Rantala, Lisa (July 27, 2023). "Homeownership dropping in Ohio as corporations target single-family homes to rent". WSYX. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  13. ↑ National Association of Realtors Research Group, Impact of Institutional Buyers on Home Sales and Single-Family Rentals. https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/impact-of-institutional-buyers-on-home-sales-and-single-family-rentals Archived October 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ An, Brian Y. (June 5, 2023). "The Influence of Institutional Single-Family Rental Investors on Homeownership: Who Gets Targeted and Pushed Out of the Local Market?". Journal of Planning Education and Research: 0739456X2311760. doi:10.1177/0739456X231176072. ISSN   0739-456X.
  15. ↑ Corinth, Kevin; Dante, Hugo (2022). "The Understated 'Housing Shortage' in the United States". SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.4178923. hdl: 10419/263663 . ISSN   1556-5068.
  16. ↑ Kirby Wilkins, Jacqueline; Bates, James S.; Betz, Michael R.; Civittolo, David J.; Fox, Julie; Jones, Lauren E.; Porfeli, Erik J.; Powers-Barker, Patrice K.; Reister, Heather L.; Remley, Daniel T.; Wapner, Andrew (January 2, 2023). "The 2022 State of Ohio Families: Challenges and Promises". Marriage & Family Review. 59 (1): 6–35. doi: 10.1080/01494929.2022.2125480 . ISSN   0149-4929.
  17. ↑ Tebben, Susan (January 17, 2022). "Youth homelessness remains a problem in Ohio". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ Community Shelter Board. Analysis of National and Local Homelessness Data. Columbus, Ohio: CSB, 2023. https://www.csb.org/cdn/files-AHAR-analysis2020.pdf
  19. ↑ City of Columbus. Ordinance No. 1777-2018.
  20. ↑ "Columbus City Council Addresses Aggressive Panhandling". City of Columbus, Ohio. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Poverty Stats 2017". Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  22. ↑ Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Human Services. Strategic Action Plan for Homelessness. Cleveland, Ohio: HHS, 2023.
  23. ↑ Higgs, Robert (June 20, 2017). "Cleveland seeks to dismiss ACLU suit following repeal of anti-panhandling laws". cleveland. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  24. ↑ Berger, Stacie (March 24, 2022). "2021 Cincinnati Homelessness Data". Strategies to End Homelessness. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Preventing homelessness with data analysis? This collaboration plans to do it with a $2M city grant". WVXU. June 21, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Downtown Residents Council, Cincinnati, Ohio" . Retrieved October 18, 2023.
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