1.8% Increase in Homelessness
The January 2024 point-in-time count, conducted by Community Shelter Board (CSB) in partnership with the Continuum of Care, identified 2,380 people experiencing homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County, marking a 1.8% increase from January 2023. Of these, 1,866 individuals were staying in shelter or transitional housing, representing a 1% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, 514 people were living outside or in other spaces not meant for habitation, reflecting a 3% increase from 2023.
Point-in-time counts are conducted in coordination with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an important method to better understand the extent and nature of homelessness in communities across the nation.
DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS
WHAT
Community Shelter Board works in collaboration with the Continuum of Care, a 41-member planning body that carries out a commitment to ending homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct an annual Point-in- Time Count. This effort counts all sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January and provides a snapshot of the state of homelessness in a community at a particular moment in time.
WHEN
CSB conducted the most recent Point-in- Time count on January 25, 2024.
WHY
The point-in-time count serves as a foundational tool for addressing homelessness by providing accurate, actionable data that informs decision-making, resource allocation, and advocacy efforts.
Save the date for next year's Point-in-Time count on Thursday, January 23, 2025
