MONTGOMERY COUNTY — County leaders and volunteers went out today to assess the homeless problem in Montgomery County.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00 p.m., more than 4500 people have spent at least one night in a shelter in Montgomery County.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Homeland Security investigates voter fraud accusation at Dayton high school
- Local hospital named one of nation’s top cardiovascular hospitals
- Police looking for woman wanted of multiple felony, misdemeanor charges
It was an early morning for volunteers who went out to get the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.
Patrick Bailey, the Assistant Director of Human Services for Montgomery County, said that the count creates a snapshot for county leaders.
Communities across the country do these counts annually.
The goal is to get a count of those experiencing homelessness.
“Some folks they find are sleeping in cars. Some people are in tents, you know, abandoned buildings, etc.,” Bailey said.
Volunteers also connect people with resources in the community, and get a better idea of what else they might be struggling with.
“No one should be out in weather like this, sleeping under a bridge or in a parking lot or in a car,” Carolyn Rice, a Montgomery County Commissioner, said.
The information gathered helps county leaders know how effective county services are, and if they need to make changes to better fit needs.
“Is it getting better? Is it getting worse? Do we have enough resources?” Rice said. “So this is a way that we can really get, you know, kind of a pulse reading, both here locally, to see how we’re doing, as well as across our state and across the nation.”
According to the county, from 2020 to 2024, the number of people living on the streets has doubled.
Baily says there are many reasons people end up homeless.
“Housing has increased significantly in the last six years, affordable housing has gone up over 42%, so whose wages have gone up 42% in the last six years? Mine hasn’t, and I’m sure, I’m sure most people’s haven’t,” Bailey said.
Bailey says that this is a national issue, and it’s made worse here in the Miami Valley with the Aftermath of the Memorial Day Tornadoes.
“The tornadoes have had a huge impact on our community, because they did wipe out affordable houses and also apartments,” Bailey said.
The numbers from today’s count are still being finalized.
News Center 7 will continue following this story.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
