Local News
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Homeless population growing in Fostoria areaSTAFF WRITER
An increasing number of people are finding themselves on the streets and in need of emergency shelter as the number of homeless rises in counties north and east of Fostoria.
The WSOS Community Action Commission recently reported a 40 percent increase in the number of homeless in Wood, Seneca, Ottawa and Sandusky County compared to last year.
As part of a state-wide count, WSOS counted 746 homeless individuals and families, with 537 of those having no shelter and 209 in emergency or transitional housing, according to a recently released report. Those numbers compare to 445 homeless in 2009, 215 of those having no shelter.
The count is done annually on Jan. 26 by organizations that receive funds to serve the homeless and is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“They go outside and they go to all the known places, and they literally count people one by one,” said Joyce Huntley, WSOS director of Public Relations
While Huntley could not speak directly to the reasons behind the increase, she speculated the economic downturn had a greater impact on those with lower income than other segments of the population. Jobs held by the poor are likely the first to be cut when businesses are struggling, she said.
There are also many more people who have found themselves struggling economically who had not before, she said.
In Fostoria, the St. Vincent de Paul Society serves the homeless by providing funds for emergency shelter in hotels and connecting people with organizations such as WSOS that can provide more long-term assistance.
Gary Fay, president of the society board, said the organization has assisted about 12 people so far this year. He was unsure how that number compared to the first few months of last year.
From his experience, mental illness and substance abuse are more common than economic factors in leading to homelessness, he said. Some live in cars or abandoned buildings before getting assistance.
In addition to providing funds for shelter, The organization will also provide funds for assistance for utilities in efforts to help people keep their homes or apartments and avoid eviction.
Once someone approaches St. Vincent de Paul, the organization tries to meet the immediate need of shelter and then also assists with food, prescription drugs and transportation. Some people they are able to give assistance for transportation to relatives outside the state.
“At the end of the year, we’re always amazed at how many people there are,” he said.
In addition to providing emergency shelter, the organization operates a food bank and had more than 1,200 requests for service last year, he said.
His Hands Ministries, operated by the Fist Baptist Church of Fostoria, provides food and clothing to about 30 to 40 families a month, said Marla Stiger, director. The church started the ministry last year, providing the assistance at the church on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7 p.m.
WSOS uses grant funds to provide transitional housing for the homeless while trying to help clients obtain more permanent housing, Huntley said. Transitional housing is provided primarily through hotels. WSOS also assess what brought clients to the point of being homeless.
WSOS would also help clients obtain high school diplomas or gain training for job skills.
“We work with them to determine what other needs they may have,” she said.
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Ph: (419) 435-6641 • Fax: (419) 435-9073
113 E. Center St. • P.O. Box 947
Fostoria, OH 44830
The Findlay Publishing Company
P.O. Box 609
Findlay, OH 45839-0609
Phone: (419) 422-5151
www.findlaypublishing.com
Please read our privacy guidelines
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