According to the Ohio State University, up to 79% of homeless youth engage in opioid abuse to deal with the trauma of being homeless. Data shows that homeless individuals in Ohio are vulnerable to addiction and substance disorders. Let’s have a look at the situation on-ground. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• In Ohio, around 67% of homeless people in 2018 had a mental health diagnosis, with 19.5% having a substance use disorder. 

• Data from 2011 shows that 20.5% of Ohio’s homeless population struggled with chronic substance abuse.

• Around 24% of homeless individuals in Ohio who received help through the Continuums of Care program in 2016 came from a substance abuse treatment facility.

• In 2022, 19% of Summit County’s homeless population battled a substance use disorder, higher than chronic health conditions, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities.

• Overdose deaths among the homeless population in Franklin County increased by 76% between 2019 and 2021.

• In 2010, 32% of single homeless adults in Franklin County reported having a substance abuse disorder.

General Insights 

Here are some general statistics about homelessness and addiction in Ohio:

• In 2018, around 67% of those experiencing homelessness in Ohio had a primary mental health diagnosis over the last ten years, with 19.5% reporting a substance use diagnosis and 4.4% having an alcohol-related diagnosis. 

• Data from Ohio’s Special Needs Housing Report shows that each year in Ohio, around 30% of individuals who experience homelessness also report a mental health diagnosis, with 11% reporting alcohol abuse and 13% reporting drug abuse issues. 

• According to the 2016 Ohio Confronting Homelessness Report, 14,600 homeless individuals in Ohio reported struggling with alcohol addiction and 17,685 reported struggling with drug abuse. 

• According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 13,977 people in Ohio experienced homelessness in 2011. Of these, 2880 individuals (or 20.5%) identified having a chronic substance abuse problem. 

• Prior to receiving help through Ohio’s Continuums of Care program in 2016, 9008 homeless individuals in Ohio lived in an institutional setting.

  2185 (or 24.5%) of these homeless individuals came from a substance abuse treatment facility or detox center. Upon leaving the care program, 4099 were readmitted to institutional settings, with 15.5% or 636 homeless individuals returning to substance abuse treatment facilities. 

• According to the 2009 Ohio Homelessness Report, 12,463 people in Ohio were homeless during one 24-hour period in January 2009.

  Out of these, 2969 individuals (or 24% of all homeless people) were chronic substance abusers. This number is a 1% decrease from 2008, when 25% of Ohio’s homeless population was reported as chronic substance abusers. 

• From 2008 to 2009, four main Ohio regions (Canton, Massillon, Alliance, and Stark County) reported a 5% increase in the number of chronic substance abusers in their homeless population, rising from 11% to 16%, despite a decrease in the total homeless population. 

• Data from The Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care (BoSCoC) highlighted a 61% increase in the number of chronic substance abusers in their homeless population from 2008 to 2009. 

Ohio Homelessness and Addiction Statistics by County

The following graph shows the number of chronic substance abusers among Ohio’s homeless population in 2009, by county:

Summit County 

• According to the 2022 Summit County Homelessness Report, about 709 out of 3732 (or 19%) of Summit County’s homeless population were battling a substance use disorder. This percentage is higher than that of homeless people living with chronic health conditions (18%), physical disabilities (16%), and developmental disabilities (9%). 

Franklin County 

• In Franklin County, overdose deaths among the homeless population increased by 76% between 2019 and 2021. 

• According to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, 32% of single, adult homeless individuals in Columbus and Franklin County self-declared having a substance abuse disorder. 

• In a survey of living arrangements of homeless individuals the night before entering a program for supportive housing, 3% of homeless families and 1% of homeless adults in Franklin County were living in a substance abuse treatment or detox facility prior to entering the program. 

• Upon exiting the supportive housing program, 4% of homeless families and 3% of homeless individuals in Franklin County ended up in a substance abuse treatment or detox facility.

Mahoning County 

• According to the 2022 PIT Count in Youngstown/Mahoning County, 65 persons with a chronic substance use disorder were identified to be at a higher risk of homelessness.

    This graph represents this population’s sheltered and unsheltered status. 

• According to Mahoning County Homeless Continuum of Care, 36 homeless individuals struggled with a substance use disorder in 2018. Out of these, 4 were unsheltered, 31 were in an emergency shelter, and 1 was in a transitional shelter. 

• In January 2007, 249 individuals in Mahoning County were homeless.

  Among the homeless adults, 54% were dealing with a substance abuse problem anticipated to be chronic.

Stark County 

• In the 2020 PIT Count in Stark County, there were 12 homeless adults living with a substance use disorder. Of these, 8 were in emergency shelters, none were in transitional shelters or safe havens, and 4 were unsheltered. 

• In the 2019 PIT Count in Stark County, there were 15 homeless adults with a substance use disorder.

  Among these, 9 were in emergency shelters, none were in transitional shelters or safe havens, and 6 were unsheltered.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Many People Are Homeless in Ohio in 2024?

According to the World Population Review, a total of 10,654 people in Ohio are homeless in 2024, out of which 1,023 are identified as chronically homeless. This makes Ohio’s homelessness rate 9.0 per 10,000 population. 

What Causes Homelessness in Ohio?

Ohio’s rising homelessness rates can largely be attributed to a lack of affordable housing in the state. Reflecting national trends, data shows that over 700,000 Ohio residents are spending more than 50% of their household income on paying rent. 

How Common Is Drug Addiction in Ohio?

Ohio’s opioid addiction rate is almost twice that of the United States, with 1.4% of Ohio’s population reporting opioid addiction. 

How Common Are Mental Health Problems in Ohio?

Ohio mental health statistics show that the overall percentage of Ohio adults who experienced regular poor mental health days saw a 20% increase from 2011 to 2020. 

Rediscover Life at White Light Behavioral Health

Get the compassionate support you deserve. We're here to help you reclaim joy, wellness, and a brighter future.

Our Facility

Data Sources 

1. https://ohiohome.org/news/blog/december-2020/homelessnessinohio.aspx
2. https://ohiohome.org/news/documents/HomelessnessReport.pdf
3. https://ehe.osu.edu/news/listing/youth-homelessness-increasing-opioid-crisis-hits-them-hard
4. https://www.ncsha.org/wp-content/uploads/Ohio-Special-Needs-Housing-Combating-Homelessness-2021.pdf
5. https://cohhio.org/ohios-unhoused-population-grows-7-amid-rising-rents/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20lack%20of%20affordable%20housing,their%20household%20income%20on%20rent.
6. https://coroner.franklincountyohio.gov/getattachment/81c81378-bd61-49aa-bd88-22355ddf9907/Overdose_2017-2021_Report.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US
7. https://www.ideastream.org/2024-01-23/homelessness-in-ohio-surged-last-year-advocates-dont-see-an-end-in-sight
8. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/08/31/drug-overdose-crisis-ohio-franklin-county-deaths-2021-fentanyl/10271928002/
9. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/mha.ohio.gov/Portals/0/assets/SchoolsAndCommunities/CommunityAndHousing/HousingResources/2013%20Ohio%20Environmental%20Scan.pdf
10. https://ohiohome.org/news/documents/ConfrontingHomelessnessReport.pdf
11. https://youngstownohio.gov/sites/default/files/forms/City%20of%20Youngstown_HOME%20ARP%20Allocation%20Plan_Draft%201.13.2023%20Corr.pdf
12. https://starkcountyhomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/203/05/FY2019-FY2020-PIT-DATA.pdf
13. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/homeless-population-by-state