Funds to aid homeless programs By Bethany J.

Royer Originally published in the Piqua Daily Call January 4, 2014

MIAMI COUNTY The Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) anno nce! "#$%& million !ollars in ai! to s pport homeless prevention' emergency shelters an! s pportive ho sing pro(ects thro gho t the state% )ocally' the Comm nity *o sing o+ Dar,e' Miami an! Shel-y Co nty Inc%' .ill receive "$/0'111' an! the 2amily A- se Shelter +or the co nty .ill receive "#03'$11' as -oth o++er homeless crisis response programs% An estimate! 4#'&#5 Ohioans .ere homeless in #14&' the latest 6IT (6oint in time co nt o+ homeless in!ivi! als in a comm nity' shelter or nsheltere! location ! ring one !ay) n m-ers provi!e! -y The Coalition on *omelessness an! *o sing in Ohio or CO**IO% This is a 4# percent !ecrease -et.een #14# an! #14&' or the smallest n m-er recor!e! since 6IT state.i!e reporting -egan in #11/' as provi!e! -y CO**IO7s #14& *omelessness 8eport% 9hile a !ecrease in the n m-er o+ homeless in!ivi! als is a goo! thing' even one in!ivi! al living on the street is one too many' especially .hen 4'&3& o+ those sheltere! an! nsheltere! homeless .ere veterans% This .as a 0 percent increase +rom #14# in terms o+ homeless veterans sho.casing ongoing concerns over ho sing in Ohio% To p t the iss e into perspective' .ith in+ormation provi!e! -y the O t o+ 8each #14& report' renters alone m st ma,e "4&%30 an ho r (:1 ho rs a .ee,' 5# .ee,s a year) to a++or! a mo!est apartment in the state o+ Ohio% Closer to home ;+or Miami Co nty resi!ents; the report loo,e! at +air mar,et rent val e +or 2iscal Year #14& res lting in "3&/ +or a t.o;-e!room apartment that .o l! re< ire an ho rly .age o+ "4:%40 an ho r% The estimate! mean renter .age in the area only came to "41%:$ an ho r% At this pay rate a++or!a-le rent .o l! nee! to -e no more than "5:: a month' as a++or!a-le rent is spen!ing no more than &1 percent o+ gross income on gross ho sing costs% As the c rrent .eather ta,es a +rigi! nose!ive' ai! to homeless shelters co l! not come at a -etter time% =rants +or the *omeless Crisis 8esponse 6rogram .ill ai! 55 nonpro+it an! local government agencies that operate emergency shelters an! move in!ivi! als +rom emergency shelters to permanent ho sing% More than :0'111 Ohioans .ill -e assiste! thro gh the program .ith + n!s receive! +rom the Ohio *o sing Tr st 2 n! an! the +e!eral >mergency Sol tions =rant program% 6enny Martin' comm nications specialist +or ODSA' states the Comm nity *o sing o+ Dar,e' Miami an! Shel-y Co nties' receive! the grant to provi!e homeless prevention services to those at ris, o+ -ecoming homeless an! ho sing assistance to those that are homeless% They serve Champaign' Dar,e' )ogan' Miami' 6re-le an! Shel-y co nties an! it is estimate! the + n! .ill help more than $11 in the area% The 2amily A- se Shelter o+ Miami Co nty' operating a &3;-e! emergency shelter +or homeless men' .omen an! chil!ren in Miami Co nty is estimate! to help /11 people .ith the grant% These grants are a.ar!e! ann ally an! can -e +or one or t.o years%' -oth the Comm nity *o sing an! the 2amily A- se Shelter .ere +or t.o years%