Columbus homelessness hits new high
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Columbus' homeless population rose to a historic high for the fourth straight year, 2026 data shows.
Why it matters: Our region's housing crisis is becoming impossible to ignore, as a lack of affordable options is a primary driver of homelessness.
The latest: The Community Shelter Board's annual point-in-time count report released Wednesday reflects the people counted on Jan. 22 by over 300 volunteers.
- The count is a yearly requirement for the board to receive federal funding and it also helps inform strategy, officials say.
By the numbers: This year's record 2,587 people experiencing homelessness in Franklin County is a 1.2% increase from last year.
- That's a smaller year-over-year increase than last year (7.4%).
- Of those people, 651 were living outside and 1,936 were in transitional housing.
- Black people remain disproportionately affected, making up 54%.
What they're saying: The data is "telling us all, this entire community, to stop and pause to see what's going on. This number can't get bigger," Community Shelter Board president and CEO Shannon TL Isom said at a Wednesday news conference.
Threat level: Predictive modeling from 2024 projected a 68% increase in local homelessness by 2028 without additional investments.
- The latest count tracks with those projections, Isom says.
- Uncertainty surrounding federal funding also remains a challenge.
Yes, but: There are also signs of local progress. Families experiencing homelessness, for example, declined by 3.8% for the second year in a row.
What's next: The shelter board will continue working with its partners to scale solutions that are seeing success.
- That includes a shift from traditional homeless shelters, which offer little privacy and may come with stigma, to options like refurbished hotels and supportive apartments.
The bottom line: "There's no debate our city is on an upward trajectory, but that doesn't mean everyone is able to participate," says Michael Wilkos, chair of the region's homelessness response coalition.
ICYMI: Our firsthand look at Columbus' 2026 homeless count.
How one man found housing — and hope
Smiling ear to ear in an apartment complex lobby, Jimmy Belcher illustrates why local housing partners are shifting their approach.
Flashback: The man in his 50s was living outside for three years, after a truck crash left him with broken vertebrae, chronic pain and no job.
- He briefly moved into a shelter, but it didn't last long.
- "I went back to the tent," he tells Axios, fed up with the crowding, unsanitary showers and a general feeling of disrespect.
At one point, Belcher thought about ending his life.
- But everything changed after staff at the Reeb Center connected him with the Community Housing Network.
How it works: The nonprofit builds permanent supportive housing — including the brand-new South Side apartments that Belcher moved into in February.
- Over 1,500 local units serve people with disabilities and include wraparound services.
This time, after he moved in, Belcher threw the tent away.
- "It was the best day of my life," he recalls. "It's beautiful."
- He's no longer bathing in a chilly creek — he has his own hot shower. A case manager attends his doctor's appointments and his health is improving.
The last word: "In a blink of an eye, you can lose everything. People don't realize that," Belcher says. "If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be here today."