Cincinnati nonprofit on how taxpayer dollars are used to address homelessness

We're getting more answers on how local organizations are using taxpayer money to help homeless families in Cincinnati.

Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas previously questioned how some groups are spending millions of dollars as data shows an increase in students in the region experiencing housing insecurity.

"We've given millions, and it's not just housing, but I just think that we need, we put our money where our mouth is, then once we give these entities the money to do certain things, there needs to be a better follow-up," Dumas said as a board meeting last week.

Kevin Finn, president of Strategies to End Homelessness, said they've been serving "more people than we ever have before — the majority of those are children."

"I presented to the county commissioners a couple of times, but the last two were both in 2023, so I can understand why, as busy as the commissioners are, that they wouldn't be up to date to the moment of how the dollars were being used," Finn said. "I know that our partner agencies, that we're using those dollars to work with, are doing great work in terms of preventing people from becoming homeless. We're always happy to update the county and the commissioners however they would like us to, we've been providing quarterly updates, written reports to the county, but perhaps those weren't necessarily making it all the way to the commissioner."

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Finn showed us how the organization used $5 million from the county, which came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). He said $3 million was allocated to help families stay in their homes if they were facing eviction.

At one point, Strategies to End Homelessness helped about 1400 people, including 807 children. He said $2 million went to other homeless prevention projects, with its partners like Saint Vince de Paul and the Freestore Foodbank.

Dumas also referenced the Cincinnati Development Fund (CDF) and how it spends public funds. We reported on the group last year. Back in June 2023 , the county announced $14 million would be going to pay for 17 new developments.

CDF declined our request for an on-camera interview. Last April, its chief strategy officer presented to the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. The group had 22 projects that received nearly $18 million in county funding.

"However, the total costs of those projects is about $250 million," said Luke Blocher, general counsel and chief strategy officer for CDF.

"We would love to shift some money from one to the other, but only Congress can do that," said Finn.

Strategies to End Homelessness said the majority of its funding is from the federal government, but there are limitations to how it uses that money. He said the nearly $28 million from the federal government can't be used for homeless prevention.

"We are stuck waiting for people to be literally homeless," added Finn.