CLEVELAND — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, reported in 2024 that more than 11,000 Ohioans were experiencing homelessness — a 3% jump from the year before. Local programs have been working to get people into permanent housing, but those efforts may soon be strained. HUD is rolling out a significant change to permanent housing funding.

“People are homeless because there are affordability issue and there's not enough housing for individuals to access,” said Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless Chris Knestrick.

For years, Knestrick has worked to help people move from the streets into stable homes.

“People don't heal from the sidewalk, so let's get people into housing and then work with them to get connected to services

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