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Nonprofit leaders tell FRAC Columbus must secure steady funding for shelters and human services
Summary
At a Funding Review Advisory Committee stakeholder session, leaders from YWCA Columbus, YMCA, Lutheran Social Services and other nonprofits warned of a growing funding shortfall for emergency shelter and human services and urged dedicated, predictable revenue to sustain operations and prevent service cuts.
Leaders of Columbus-area nonprofits told the Funding Review Advisory Committee on the evening of the stakeholder session that emergency shelters and human services face a widening funding gap and need predictable local revenue.
The testimony underscored the scale of demand and the fragility of current funding: Elizabeth Brown, chief executive officer of YWCA Columbus, told the committee, “As of January 1, the system faces a $25,000,000 gap just to sustain existing services.” Other speakers described high nightly shelter demand, long wait lists and the human costs of reductions in capacity.
The testimony matters because shelters and related human services act as a frontline safety net for residents in crisis. Without stable funding, providers said, they cannot plan, retain staff or keep beds open — actions that would push people into longer episodes of homelessness and increase strain on emergency rooms and public safety systems.
Several shelter operators described how services function on a day-to-day basis and what a loss of funding would mean. Wanetta Birch, service coordinator for YWCA Columbus’s women’s residency program, recounted how short-term shelter support allowed her to secure employment and housing for her family; her account illustrated the services providers say are at risk. Cantrell Butler, executive director of the YMCA Van Buren Center, urged the committee to “ensure guaranteed and sustainable funding for shelter operations in Columbus and Franklin County.” Melissa Sirak, senior vice president of housing, shelter and social responsibility for YMCA of Central Ohio, said some nights see more than 400 people on a shelter wait list while the Van Buren Center houses up to 800 guests.
Speakers recommended several approaches. Anne Bischoff, chief executive officer of Star House and representative of a youth homelessness coalition, proposed bridge funding for human services and suggested nonprofit capacity building to expand fee-for-service revenue. Rachel Lustig, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services, highlighted the gap between bed capacity and demand at domestic violence shelters and asked the committee to secure “equitable, dedicated funding streams for shelter services, beyond general revenue.”
Panelists repeatedly warned that federal and one-time funding sources leave local providers vulnerable. Testimony cited the reliance on federal grants and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars arriving late or ending, and urged local mechanisms — from a human services levy to dedicated shelter operations funds — so providers can sustain on-the-ground services.
Speakers also emphasized that stable shelter funding has communitywide impacts beyond individual well-being: providers pointed to downstream savings in health care and public safety and to tourism and economic impacts for the city if visible homelessness increases.
The committee did not take formal action during the testimony session. Presenters asked the FRAC to incorporate bridge funding, multiyear grant models, and guaranteed operational support into recommendations that will reach Columbus and Franklin County elected officials.
The Funding Review Advisory Committee will consider this testimony as it develops funding options and will present recommendations to the appointing authorities in a later report.
