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Point-In-Time


2025 Point-In-Time Count Results

The annual Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County was conducted on January 23, 2025. Community Shelter Board (CSB) coordinated the effort in collaboration with the Continuum of Care, a 41-member planning body committed to ending homelessness across the region. More than 250 volunteers mobilized to support this community-wide initiative. Point-in-Time Counts are conducted nationwide in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They serve as a critical tool for understanding the scope and nature of homelessness in local communities, as well as informing system-level planning and resource allocation.

Bar chart showing the total number of people counted. 2556 in 2025 and 2380 in 2024, a 7.4% increase.


Findings Summary

January 2025 Point-In-Time Count

7.4% Increase in Homelessness

The January 2025 Point-in-Time Count, conducted by CSB in partnership with the Continuum of Care, identified 2,556 people experiencing homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County, marking a 7.4% increase from January 2024. Of these, 2,101 individuals were staying in shelter or transitional housing, representing a 13% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, 455 people were living outside or in other spaces not meant for habitation, reflecting a 1% decrease from 2024. Together, these trends reflect a system facing urgent challenges—expanding shelter access and reducing unsheltered homelessness in some areas, while still navigating rising needs and pressures across the community.


Demographic Groups

Various demographic groups were affected by homelessness, each with distinct vulnerabilities and needs.

Race/Ethnicity & Gender

The pie chart breaks down who was experiencing homelessness by race. Black/ African American/African: 55% White: 33% Multi-racial (Not Hispanic/Latinx): 5% Hispanic/Latinx: 3% Other 3%.

The pie chart breaks down who was experiencing homelessness by gender. Men: 57%, Women: 42%, More Than One Gender/Non-binary: 1%.

Families, Adults, and Youth

The bar chart shows the number of families counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 230. In 2025, a 9% decrease to 210.

The bar chart illustrates the number of unaccompanied youth counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 158. In 2025, there was a 31% increase to 207.

The bar chart represents the number of single adults counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 1615. In 2025, there was a 14% increase to 1,843.

The bar chart represents the number of parenting youth counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 39. In 2025, there was a 26% decrease to 31.

Individuals with Severe Mental Illness, Individuals Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, Survivors of Domestic Violence, and Veterans

Bar chart representing individuals with a severe mental illness counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 550. In 2025, a 21% decrease to 432.

Bar chart representing individuals who survived domestic violence, counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 302. In 2025, there was a 31% decrease to 209.

The bar chart illustrates the number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in 2024 and 2025. In 2024: 224. In 2025, a 1.8% decrease to 220.

The bar chart shows the number of veterans counted in 2025 and 2024. In 2024: 91. In 2025: 97, a 7% increase.


Previous Results

January 2024 Point-in-Time Count: Full Report  |  Press Release

January 2023 Point-in-Time Count: Press Release

Mark Your Calendar

The next Point-in-Time Count will be in January 2026


Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Conducting surveys on the ground and in encampments for unsheltered people experiencing homelessness

• Conducting surveys at a magnet site in tandem with a mobile outreach unit and food truck

• Conducting surveys at meal sites and warming centers.

For more information, please contact Twila Wellmaker at twellmaker@csb.org.