We Know How to Solve Homelessness. So Why Aren’t We Doing It?
This past week, our team had the opportunity to attend the COHHIO Housing Conference, where housing advocates, service providers, and people with lived experience came together to talk about what’s working, and what’s not, when it comes to homelessness in Ohio.
The conversations weren’t theoretical. They were rooted in the real and rising need we’re seeing right now:
More people living in encampments, often pushed out of sight.
A sharp increase in unsheltered homelessness now that winter warming centers have closed.
And the same, recurring question: If we know what works, why aren’t we doing it?
We talked about how the solutions haven’t changed: permanent housing, supportive services, coordination between agencies, and the will to invest in those systems. What’s changed is the urgency, and the obstacles.
A Federal Budget That Moves Backward
The proposed FY2026 federal budget would drastically cut support for housing and homelessness programs. It eliminates the Continuum of Care program, reduces funding for Homeless Assistance Grants by over $500 million, and consolidates programs in a way that strips away transparency and accountability.
In effect, this budget proposal puts 166,000 permanent supportive housing units, and the people who live in them, at risk. The programs that nonprofits and communities depend on could be swept away by top-down decisions that ignore the reality on the ground.
At the State Level, More Trouble
Right here in Ohio, HB 96 would eliminate the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, our state’s largest, most flexible resource for affordable housing and homelessness prevention.
This fund has helped build and preserve housing, provide shelter, and stabilize families across the state. For communities like Columbus, where housing prices are climbing and affordable units are shrinking, this fund is a lifeline. Losing it would be a major blow to our ability to respond effectively.
The Columbus Challenge
Here in Columbus, the dynamics of homelessness are complex. We’re a growing city with deep disparities in housing access. People are falling into homelessness faster than we can move them out. And while we have incredible organizations doing the work, we often lack the one thing that makes real systems change possible: clear, empowered leadership.
In other cities that have seen success, places like Houston, Austin, and Bakersfield, progress came when one entity took charge. Whether it was the Mayor’s Office, County Commissioners, or a joint agency, having a central coordinator allowed those cities to align funding, measure impact, and act swiftly.
That’s what Columbus needs. Not more fragmented efforts, but unified action with accountability and long-term vision.
So What Can We Do?
We can’t control every budget or policy decision, but we can do three things right now:
Push back on HB 96 and protect the Ohio Housing Trust Fund.
Advocate for smart federal housing investments that prioritize evidence-based solutions.
Ask our local leaders, Mayor, Council, and County, to take ownership of this crisis and lead with urgency.
We also need to keep listening to the people most affected. Every tent, every encampment, every night spent unsheltered is a story that deserves to be heard, and answered with action.
Because homelessness is solvable. What’s missing isn’t strategy, it’s the courage to lead.
At Make-A-Day, we believe everyone deserves a warm meal, a safe place to rest, and the dignity of being seen. Let’s keep doing the work, and let’s keep pushing our leaders to do theirs.