Position Paper: Homelessness in Huntington

We can't wait any longer to address the homelessness crisis in Huntington. Over the last three years, the number of homeless individuals has increased by 62% to the highest number since HUD's coordinated counts began in 2009. Veteran homelessness in Huntington shot up 24% from 2023 to 2024. In the past decade, the number of unsheltered people (those sleeping outside or in abandoned houses) has more than tripled. These are not just numbers; they represent real people with stories and struggles who deserve compassion, support, and a chance for a better life.

Many hardworking non-profit organizations are on the front lines of this crisis, and they all seem overwhelmed by the influx of people seeking help. Visible signs of community distress are evident on 4th Avenue in front of the Harmony House day shelter and on 7th Avenue in front of the City Mission chapel, which serves as Huntington's overnight emergency shelter. Our homeless population cycles on foot between the City Mission, Harmony House, and the riverbank. This migration pattern forms a triangle around downtown and Pullman Plaza, highlighting the problem and making many people, including those experiencing homelessness, feel anxious, uncomfortable, and unsafe.

Our current approach to homelessness clearly isn’t working. It is fragmented and unfocused, and if something doesn’t change, the problem will only get worse. It doesn’t have to be this way. 

Despite a nationwide increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness, some cities are reversing the trend. Houston boasts a 61% reduction since 2011, Chattanooga has seen a nearly 40% reduction over the past few years, and Raleigh and Colorado Springs experienced over 10% reductions in 2023. While these cities have found success, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. My plan to combat the problem incorporates best practices from around the country and includes three main ideas: a Housing First model, data-driven approaches, and deep collaboration.

Housing First  

To end homelessness, we must get people into homes. The Housing First strategy prioritizes getting people off the streets without preconditions like sobriety or employment. This model allows care providers to address underlying issues once individuals are in secure housing. 

To do this, we’ll need to create more housing. That will likely require public funding and fostering partnerships with private developers so that we have enough units to match the need. One example of a project that would provide immediate relief is at Harmony House, where they need $75,000 to provide essential renovations to ten vacant efficiency apartments. If those units were ready to go, ten more people would have a chance to start rebuilding their lives. 

Data-Driven Approaches 

We need accurate data to fully understand the problem. Anecdotal stories suggest the rise of homelessness in Huntington is a result of people being brought here by unethical sober living homeowners or sent here by nearby cities who want to relocate their hard cases. Regardless of how often this is actually happening, we need better data to fully understand the problem.

Accurate data will help us identify the root causes of homelessness and develop strategies to prevent more people from needing shelter in the first place. It will also enable us to prosecute bad actors in the recovery industry and stop unscrupulous businesses from profiting off our community's suffering.

Deep Collaboration

Nearly every success story of cities reducing homelessness highlights a Continuum of Care network that embraces collaboration at extraordinary levels. Harmony House, the Huntington City Mission, Branches Domestic Violence Shelter, and many other non-profit organizations are doing their best to triage the needs of Huntington’s  vulnerable citizens. However, amid a deluge of new cases, most will readily admit they don't have the time or resources to focus on long-term, collaborative strategies to end homelessness.

To truly change the trajectory of Huntington, we need to take ownership of the problem and unite all stakeholders with a common purpose. It’s time to embrace the complexity of homelessness and champion collaboration, even when it's uncomfortable. Without a compelling forcing function, even well-intentioned organizations tend to be territorial. We need to overcome these natural tendencies and build better working relationships among our non-profits and government agencies.

This already happens on a small scale for specific projects, but it’s time to think bigger. Imagine what could happen if the City of Huntington, Marshall University, and our healthcare community united with the goal of ending homelessness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators, caseworkers, doctors, and CEOs collaborated to keep the community safe.  We need to apply that same level of effort now to tackle the homelessness crisis.

The Way Home

Huntington needs more day shelter space and a better emergency shelter option at night. The best solutions to these challenges won't come from piecemeal or siloed projects. If we dream bigger and broader, our solutions could resemble Houston’s The Way Home program, which integrates housing with healthcare and social services. This coordinated system involves over 100 partner organizations working toward the shared goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. By utilizing a coordinated access system, prioritizing housing based on need, and embracing the Housing First model, The Way Home eliminates duplicative efforts to ensure efficient use of resources. Through public-private partnerships, data sharing, and intensive case management, The Way Home has significantly reduced homelessness.

Huntington can do something similar. Providing comprehensive and coordinated services in an accessible location outside the central business district would benefit Huntington immensely. Police would handle fewer vagrancy calls, firefighters fewer emergency calls, hospitals fewer uncompensated visits, and schools fewer students facing housing insecurity. Businesses would be able to offer a safer and more inviting environment. Most importantly, our most vulnerable community members would be safer and have a better chance to rebuild their lives.

Getting leaders of different organizations to join a larger effort won’t be easy. Nothing about combating homelessness is easy. It will take time, money, and leadership. It will require us to be clear about our goal of ending homelessness and deliberate about making sure all efforts build on each other.

We can’t wait any longer to change our approach. If we do, the problem will only grow. I am committed to reversing these alarming trends because I know we have the people, organizations, and wisdom to succeed. Now is the time to act and make Huntington a city where everyone has a home.