Homelessness spiked in the U.S. and across Northeast Ohio last year after years of decline. This year, the numbers are expected to continue to climb.
Homeless outreach groups across the state conducted the annual Point-In-Time or PIT Count on Tuesday, where they tally up individuals staying in shelters or in tent encampments outside.
Though the data won’t be finalized for several months, those working on the ground in homeless outreach have seen a rise, said Mikaylla Simms of Community Support Services, an Akron nonprofit that provides services for individuals experiencing homelessness or persistent mental illness.
“We see the numbers go up. We already know that just from … seeing these people struggle, seeing more tents pop up, seeing our day room numbers skyrocket,” Simms said. “So [we're] trying to get that snapshot to get that on paper to show everyone else who might not be aware that the numbers are rising.”
Homelessness rose 7% in Ohio and 12% nationwide last year, according to PIT count data.
In Summit County, the total number of individuals experiencing homelessness jumped to 648 in Jan. 2023, up from 441 in Jan. 2022, according to the PIT count data. That includes people in emergency shelters and transitional housing, as well as those living in encampments outside.
The unsheltered population — people living outside — more than doubled, from 53 to 154, the data show.
Stark County’s PIT count showed 320 people experienced homelessness last year — the highest number the county has seen since 2016, according to officials at Stark County’s Continuum of Care.
PIT count allows for future outreach and funding
CSS employees and volunteers spent Tuesday crunching through the snow and ice in Akron’s wooded areas to connect with individuals staying in tents. In addition to getting a head count, they also asked targeted questions to plan future outreach.
In a secluded area near train tracks just north of Downtown Akron, Simms and social worker Keith Snodgrass found Tommy Porter, who’s been experiencing homelessness for 18 years.
After giving him a bus pass and coupons to McDonald’s, Snodgrass asked Porter some survey questions.
“You [have] a physical disability?” he asked Porter.
Porter replied that he does, but he’s been denied disability benefits several times. He can’t show proof because he hasn’t been to a doctor’s appointment in years.
“Lost everything. Lost my job, kids are grown, became homeless in Wooster,” Porter said. “Someone brought me up here, and I’ve been here ever since.”
Porter likes keeping to himself, he said.
“It [isn’t] too bad. All you have to do is deal with those two weeks of coldness,” Porter said. “I’ve learned a few lessons from it.”
After the survey, Porter went off to what he calls his “office” — an intersection Downtown where he regularly panhandles.
Snodgrass has tried to help Porter for years, but he’s hesitant to get off the streets, Snodgrass said.
But today’s PIT count survey allowed Snodgrass to learn more specific details about Porter’s needs.
“I see he’s trying to get his disability, so that’ll give me something to come back because we have someone in our office that helps with that,” Snodgrass said. “That might be a way to maybe get him in and start being able to work with him.”
Snodgrass will report that information to CSS, and they’ll try to help Porter get in with a doctor so they can start the process of potentially getting him on disability benefits.
“The door’s cracked now. That’s why coming out sometimes, even when you’re dealing with a person who may say they don’t want any help, it’s something,” Snodgrass added. “Everyone needs help with something, so you just figure out that thing and then you can go at it from there and help them with a lot of other things.”
Outreach groups will submit their PIT counts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which then uses the data to provide funding for homeless outreach.
Rising costs of rent, the lack of affordable housing and last year’s end to COVID-19 emergency support seem to be causing the spike, Simms added.
Simms and Snodgrass have also heard of situations where people can’t get housing because of previous evictions.
“Now you have an eviction on your record, which creates an extra barrier, even if you did increase your income to afford the higher rent. Now, the landlord’s going to look at that and see you have a recent eviction,” Simms said.
“The landlords are being a lot more strict about what they accept and who they accept,” Snodgrass added.
The PIT count is conducted the last week of January each year. Outreach groups in Cleveland conducted their PIT count on Tuesday as well, while Stark County groups will go out on Sunday, Jan. 29.
