COLUMBUS, Ohio — Experts say central Ohio is experiencing an affordable housing crisis and homelessness is a growing problem in Franklin County. The Community Shelter Board is reporting that without intervention, homelessness is predicted to increase by as much as 68% in the next four years.
Looking to combat the problem, a trio of outreach specialists are going around downtown Columbus seeking solutions for those without a place to call home.
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Jessica Lanier and Ryan Jefferson walk around in the downtown area daily as outreach specialists. They work with the Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts, also known as SIDS, to help people.
They identify their client's needs and if they're not ready for help, they're at least building relationships.
"That helps build rapport as well and makes them feel like a human being like they have somebody to talk to," Lanier said.
Jefferson said that this work gets those living outside to, "understand that we're only here to help and I think that kind of bridges that gap a little bit as far as the fear goes."
Over the summer, the outreach specialists conducted 675 well-being checks, secured 75 IDs and birth certificates and connected 117 people to temporary shelter or permanent housing.
"It's got to be the most rewarding thing I've ever done." Lanier echoed him by saying, "It's the most rewarding thing I could ever do," Jefferson said.
One of their current clients is Gretta Hibbs.
"I have known Ryan and Jessica even before I got homeless. When I got homeless, they've even meant more to me," Hibbs said.
Her challenges started after losing her job at Greyhound in 2023 and then her home.
"I stayed at a hotel until I ran out of money. Like I said, I've got a lot of health problems. I have an aneurysm, I'm a diabetic, breast cancer. So yeah, it's kind of rough," she said.
For the past eight months, she's been getting help from the workers at SIDS.
"You do have some people out here that think that every single homeless person out here has problems. A lot of us do, but at the same time, there's some of us that shouldn't have been out here and they wound up in this position," Hibbs said.
"I would say every year there's new challenges with different reasons why people are homeless," Jefferson said.
Lanier said that even though there is visible growth in Columbus, affordable houses and apartments are hard to come by.
"The city is doing a great job right now with everything they're trying to gain more affordable housing, things of that nature. They're just not going up quick enough," she said.
As Hibbs tries to manage her health issues, along with the struggle to find a home, she says Jefferson and Lanier have at least offered her hope.
"I'd probably be in the ground," Hibbs said. "Easiest thing to say because without their help there's really nothing else out here."
If you know someone who could benefit from these services, contact the SIDS hotline at (614)228-5718. You can set up an appointment or the outreach team can meet at a convenient location.