CINCINNATI — A rising number of families are experiencing homelessness in the region as the proportion of families receiving help is shrinking.
Four organizations serving as the region’s largest service network for homeless families presented 2024 data to Cincinnati City Council’s Equitable Growth and Housing Committee Tuesday, shedding light on a growing gap in the amount of services that can be offered to families. (Find a copy of the presentation here.)
In 2024, only 38.2% of families in need of shelter received emergency shelter, according to the presentation. That’s roughly 697 families.
“That total percentage who are getting nothing has only gotten bigger,” said Kevin Finn, president of Strategies to End Homelessness.
The rising cost of housing, expensive child care and loss of rental assistance vouchers are all playing a role in the increase in need, said Stacey Burge, FoundHouse President and CEO.
“When the market does not have enough availability, that means families stay in shelter longer,” she said.
The length of stay went from 45 to 60, limiting how many families can be served over the year.
Watch highlights from the meeting here:
The struggle for families is compounded by the rising cost of living.
Burge said even families with secure, good-earning employment are struggling to make ends meet: "We have people who come to our shelter who are going to work every day on eight- and 10-hour shifts at nursing homes."
A job that’s growing in popularity among mothers in the shelter system is a State Tested Nursing Aide (STNA).
But Burge said despite a gross monthly income of $2,500, affording the average rent for two bedrooms at $1,300 consumes more than half of the family’s pre-tax earnings.
That’s why despite their efforts, many shelter residents still find themselves trapped in a cycle of instability.
"Even when they're working really hard and doing everything they can to get back into and stay in housing, oftentimes the math still doesn't work, and that's what it comes down to," Burge said.
Figuring out exactly who needs help is another challenge.
“Families who are homeless are often invisible,” said Peg Dierkers, CEO of Bethany House Services.
“They stay in places where they are not visible because they are afraid of losing their children … They may be staying in a car in a neighborhood, in a health system bathroom or waiting room, or in an abandoned building that is really uninhabitable,” she said.
Children bear the brunt of homelessness, said Juwana Glover, Chief Program Officer at the YMCA Greater Cincinnati: “Our goal is to truly break that cycle.”
“We provide prevention, we provide emergency shelter, rapid rehousing and aftercare solutions to our families,” said Glover.
