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Hamilton County sees dramatic increase in people sleeping outside. What's being done?

Blankets hang on a concrete wall above a towel along A Cincinnati pathway from the Purple People Bridge.
Lucy May
/
WVXU
Blankets hang on a concrete wall above a towel along A Cincinnati pathway from the Purple People Bridge.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Hamilton County and living outside jumped by 46% between 2022 and 2023, according to data collected by Strategies to End Homelessness.

It was the largest increase in unsheltered homelessness in the county in almost a decade.

And the total number of people experiencing homelessness — whether they’re in shelters or not — increased slightly, too.

The increase follows five years of declines and raises questions about whether this is an aberration or the beginning of a trend that's going in the wrong direction.

On Cincinnati Edition, we spend the hour talking about what's behind those numbers, the impact of the increase and what's being done to create more affordable housing locally.

Guests:

  • Kevin Finn, president and CEO, Strategies to End Homelessness
  • Cincinnati City Councilmember Meeka Owens
  • Josh Spring, executive director, Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
  • Tracey Skale, MD, chief medical officer, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services

Ways to listen to this show:

· Tune in live at noon ET M-F. Call 513-419-7100 or email talk@wvxu.org to have your voice heard on today’s topic.

· Catch the replay on 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB at 8 p.m. ET M-F.

· Listen on-demand. Audio for this segment will be uploaded to this page by 4 p.m. ET., or subscribe to our podcast.

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