COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — In Franklin County, volunteers were up early Thursday to better understand a growing crisis in our community. They participated in the point-in-time count, a nationwide event that helps track homelessness.
A record number of volunteers joined the Community Shelter Board to count every person experiencing homelessness they could find. The board said two major factors are driving homelessness in Franklin County: low vacancy rates and increasing rent. For some, it means losing their home. The work on Thursday is a step to better understand the issue.
“I have experienced a lot of homelessness with my family,” Point in Time Count Volunteer Altheda Bradley said. All volunteers came with different reasons but had a shared goal: to better understand and address homelessness in Franklin County.
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“It’s so stressful to think about it because you can be a working, part of the workforce and still be homeless. And it’s very hard to really understand why that is,” Bradley said…