FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     For more information call:

December 2, 2005                                          Janelle Simmons, 614.221.9195


COMMUNITY SHELTER BOARD

RELEASES FIRST COMMUNITY REPORT ON HOMELESSNESS

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Community Shelter Board (CSB) released its first annual Community Report on Homelessness today.  The 2005 Community Report on Homelessness: A Snapshot is the first comprehensive report on the Columbus and Franklin County emergency shelter system and includes data on persons experiencing homelessness in our community.

 

The report focuses on emergency services for families with children and single adults.  A description of each emergency shelter system is followed by a summary of significant accomplishments and challenges. Demographic data on clients served by the emergency shelter systems for the Fiscal Year 2005 (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005) is provided.  The report also summarizes longer-term data trends for 1995 to present, as well as outlines results of the Point-In-Time count conducted in January 2005, which counted both sheltered and unsheltered persons.  The report concludes with over-arching observations.

 

The results from the 2005 Community Report on Homelessness: A Snapshot will be used to improve planning and implementation of emergency services for men, women, and children affected by homelessness.  Most importantly, the report will inform public and community policy toward our community goal of alleviating homelessness.

 

Barbara Poppe, CSB Executive Director said the snapshot of the emergency shelter system is significant to our community moving forward in its response to homelessness, “The data in the report shows that there has been progress made, but there is still work to be done.  For example, overall, the demand for shelter appears to have decreased from a high of 9,414 people sheltered in 1997 to 7,776 in 2004. However, an area of concern is the increase in single adult women experiencing homelessness and accessing shelter”.

 

The Community Shelter Board is also helping to move forward our community’s response to homelessness by advocating for an increase in the Franklin County real estate transfer fee. The revenue generated from the increase would be equally allocated between the Community Shelter Board and The Affordable Housing Trust of Columbus and Franklin County to fund affordable housing and homeless service programs. The Franklin County Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed increase on December 8th.

 

The Community Shelter Board, established in 1986, is a non-profit intermediary organization that coordinates community based efforts, fosters collaboration, and funds services to assist families and individuals in Central Ohio to resolve their housing crisis.  The Community Shelter Board allocates $8 million annually to support CSB and its partner agencies programs and services.  Last year, these programs served more than 11,000 individuals.  The Community Shelter Board is funded by the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Central Ohio, The Columbus Foundation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Ohio, and other public and private donors.