Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the homeless camp off the People Trail behind the old REMC building off Second Street in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.
The number of homeless residents counted in Bartholomew County declined this year, while the number of local homeless not staying in shelters slightly increased, according to the results from a annual count taken earlier this year.
Results from a federally required count conducted this past January found 75 people in Bartholomew County were homeless, compared to 108 found during the 2023 count, according to figures provided by Elaine Breeck, the homelessness prevention coordinator at Human Services Inc., which leads the local count.
At the same time, 18 of the 75 homeless people in Bartholomew County found during this year’s count — nearly 1 in 4 — were not staying at a local shelter, compared to 13 of the 108 people found during the count last year — about 1 in 8 — the figures show.
The data comes from the so-called annual point-in-time count, which is required for communities to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The department uses the information to distribute resources for homeless services across the country.
However, the figures have limitations, as the count is only intended to provide a snapshot of homelessness on one night in January, and it only includes people who volunteers find. In several instances, volunteers have said they sometimes find evidence of a homeless camp, but nobody is there when they conduct the count and are therefore not included in the tally.
This year, the annual tally was conducted on Jan. 24.
“The State of Indiana gathers the information, and it’s used for determining where programs are needed … along with (helping) us get a better understanding of where people are at and how we can help,” Breeck said, who added that she does not know why fewer individuals were found this year’s count.
The update on this year’s local count comes as the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention in partnership with the Indianapolis Continuum of Care announced that Indianapolis’ annual point-in-time count found 1,701 people experiencing homelessness, up 5% increase over the count in 2023, The Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
Last year, a total of 6,017 people were found to be homeless across Indiana, the highest point-in-time tally since 2013 and up from 4,332 in 2022, according to the most recent state-level data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Nationwide, a record-high 653,104 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2023, up 12.1% over the previous year, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
While the local point-in-time count showed a decrease in homelessness on one night in January, local officials said they believe homelessness has been increasing in Bartholomew County.
Brighter Days, a homeless shelter located at 421 S. Mapleton St., has been experiencing higher-than-normal demand for beds this summer, said Kelly Daugherty, executive director of Love Chapel, which operates the shelter.
“We generally average about 30 to 35 during the winter and about 15 during the summer,” Daugherty said. “But the last few weeks, we’ve been up in the 23 to 25 range even during the summertime.”
“I just think we’ve got more and more folks that are homeless in our community,” he added. “…I definitely think that homeless has increased in Bartholomew County.”
Columbus, like many U.S. communities, has long faced the issue of homelessness, though local officials said previously that they saw an increase in homelessness, including a higher prevalence of severe mental illness among people living on the streets, as the community emerged from the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials attributed the increase to a variety of factors, including wages not keeping up with inflation, mental illness and drug abuse.
The issue also has drawn considerable public attention. In November, 150 people turned out for a community conversation on homelessness at Donner Center that included discussion by representatives from local nonprofits and a time for feedback and questions.
In April, city officials approved a contract with the United Way of Bartholomew County for a homelessness initiative that includes bringing the community together for a shared understanding, implementing modifications to the social-service delivery system to better serve the homeless, providing targeted recommendations on homeless related services and communicating with stakeholders and the public.
The 15-month agreement establishes “an aspirational vision” for the community to reach a state of “functional zero,” meaning more people will be escaping homelessness each month than those who become homeless.
Executive Director of Administration Eric Frey said previously after the 15 months are up, city officials hope to implement what United Way recommends “whether that’s projects or policy changes.”
Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon told The Republic previously that she’s heard from other mayors just how pervasive homelessness has become, not only across the state but in the nation at large.
“I think we’re a step ahead of the game, just stepping forward and saying, ‘Hey, we have an idea, what can we do?’ Ferdon said. “As we’ve talked, every community is different, but I think that we will be able to probably come up with something that might be a model to other communities.”
