The city of Cincinnati is amending a contract to provide more funds to shelters during the winter months.
The amendment will allow for at least $3 million to go toward the Non-Profit Agency Funding Agreement. In August, Cincinnati provided area agencies serving the homeless with more than $2 million to aid in such services as day center services, emergency shelter and rapid re-housing.
Strategies To End Homelessness' president, Kevin Finn, said this year has been extremely difficult for shelters. This is due to implementing social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"They had to move people out into hotel and motel rooms," Finn said. "At that point, the shelter operators were simultaneously operating some of their congregant shelter capacity, but also having to provide sources to and keep an eye on people that were scattered in multiple other locations."
Finn said he hopes the contract will be finalized by next week.
"I signed it yesterday and it went back to the city, and it's being routed through City Hall for a couple of different signatures that it needs on the city's end," Finn said. "I assume that's going on right now."
The amended budget will tally up to nearly $6 million once it's finalized.
Last week, STEH and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition held an event in Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine to urge city leaders to provide the extra funds. At that event, Finn said 35% more people have been sleeping outside this winter compared to last year.
You can read the amendment to the original agreement below:
