About Homelessness

Many people have misconceptions about the homeless. The following myths and facts may help you to better understand the problem.

Facts about homelessness in Licking County: On January 26, 2016, Licking County conducted a Point-In-Time count and found on that night there were 215 individuals in Licking County that were homeless. This means these individuals were either living in an emergency shelter, in a transitional housing program, on the streets, or in their cars.

In 2016, The Salvation Army shelter in Newark served 790 individuals.

LCCH maintains over 40 Transitional Housing units in Newark for homeless residents of the county. 163 people in 89 households entered the LCCH Transitional Housing program in 2016. 62 of the 163 people served were children, accounting for 38% of the people living in Transitional Housing units.

The emergency shelters at The Salvation Army, New Beginnings and St. Vincent Haven are the principal sources of referrals for the LCCH. Faith-based agencies also make direct referrals.

About 10 families and 30 individuals are typically on the waiting list for LCCH Transitional Housing units. The typical wait can be 1-4 months. Approximately 50% of the individuals on the list are residing in an emergency shelter with a 90 day time limit.

The average length of stay in LCCH housing is 317 days.

The average cost of a home on the market in 2017 in Licking County is $219,935. This price has increased 5.8% in the last year alone.

The minimum household income necessary to purchase a home that meets the building code in the county is approximately $30,000 per year. Minimum down payments range from $3,000 to $5,000. The 2017 Median household income in Licking County is about $56,549 per year.

At least 215 people are homeless in Licking County on any given night.

91% of the homeless in Licking County are homeless for the first time.

The average household is 2 paychecks away from becoming homeless.

40% of the homeless in Licking County are children.

For Addtional Info: Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) www.cohhio.org

National Alliance to End Homelessness
www.endhomelessness.org

U.S Inter-agency Council on Homelessness www.usich.gov

National Coalition for the Homeless www.nationalhomeless.org

Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness www.icphusa.org