New count shows slight decline in Oxford’s homeless population

Local expert explains why data might be inaccurate

This year’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count through the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) shows a decline in the homeless population in Butler County overall, including in the City of Oxford, compared to last year.

But Deb Wells, a social worker with Access Counseling Services who’s been volunteering in Oxford for over a year and currently offers assistance at the Oxford Lane Library, said the data is an underestimate.

The PIT Count is a headcount taken by volunteers across the country of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on one of the coldest nights of the year during the last 10 days in January. This year’s count was delayed due to winter storms and was taken on Feb. 3, according to COHHIO data. 

While people who are both sheltered and experiencing homelessness may include those in emergency shelters, those who are unsheltered and experiencing homelessness are likely staying in encampments, in their cars or in a place not meant for human habitation.

“(This) could be a vehicle, it could be an abandoned building that has no utilities, outside, a barn – places like that,” Wells said. 

The count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for communities receiving funding from the Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.

Although the count was taken several months ago, Wells said it takes a while to get all of the data back, as it is first sent to the state to be organized before it’s sent back to individual counties.

According to the total count from the COHHIO, there were 153 unsheltered and 245 sheltered people counted in Butler County this year – a total of 398 individuals. Although Butler County is not the largest in Ohio by population, this was the highest number of people counted who were experiencing homelessness out of all 79 counties required to participate in the PIT Count.

In 2025, there were 254 unsheltered and 234 sheltered people in Butler County – a total of 488, according to data from COHHIO. This was an increase from 2024, when 120 unsheltered and 227 sheltered people were identified – a total of 347.

According to an analysis of the raw data by John Bailer, a member of the Oxford Area Solutions for Housing (OASH) group and volunteer for the Oxford Winter House temporary shelter, there were at least 15 unsheltered and 15 sheltered people experiencing homelessness identified in Oxford alone during the PIT count this year. 

Last year’s PIT count showed a total headcount of 46 people experiencing homelessness in Oxford, while the total headcount in 2024 was 37.

Notably, Wells said the count doesn’t include people who may technically be experiencing homelessness but may have found a temporary solution. For example, these people may be couch surfing, in a temporary holding cell, in residential treatment or a hospital.

“Nationally, it’s recognized that the PIT Count is an underestimate,” Wells said. “We know we’re missing people. We know there are people who typically are on the streets who might have found some place to get inside during that time of year, so HUD recognizes this is an underestimate, but it’s the best that they have right now.”

Wells said she has communication with people who may be experiencing homelessness all year long and is constantly out in the community and building relationships. She said she has been volunteering for the PIT Count in Middletown for the past 30 years, and her clients will often tell her where they’re staying.

“A lot of folks who are chronically homeless are starting to understand that one of the important pieces is getting counted on that night because that’s the only data that HUD looks at when they talk about funding for resources,” Wells said.

There could be a variety of reasons why the count may have been superficially lower this year, including that there were fewer volunteers to help count, and there’s been policing of people who are chronically homeless, Wells said. 

“But my experience as an outreach worker and being in the community across the county tells me that the numbers haven’t really changed,” Wells said. “It’s not dropping; in fact, I’m seeing new faces. I’m seeing an increase in the number of people who are newly homeless.”

Wells said she’s also noticing a growing population of people experiencing homelessness in individuals over the age of 50, “and that’s more economic than any other issue.”

According to the statewide PIT Count breakdown from the COHHIO, the total number of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count who were over the age of 55 this year was 739. In 2023, the last available year of statewide data on the COHHIO website, the same age range of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count included just 10 people.

There is no PIT Count data available broken down by age and county on the COHHIO website.

Wells said a lot of people in this age range may be on a fixed income, and although they may have Social Security and retirement funds, it’s not enough. She said housing vouchers are also difficult to obtain because they’re limited under the Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority.

“I’m meeting people who lived in apartments or homes that they rented for years, and because Butler County has seen such a rapid rise in population over the last five years and a very slow increase in the housing stock, that automatically creates a deficit in available housing,” Wells said. “And then we have, in part of our county, we have an influx of wealth. We have people who have more money and more income who can afford to pay higher rates, so it’s driving rental costs up.”

Housing options in Oxford

Bailer said of recent OASH conversations, “There’s been a lot of discussion about trying to encourage some of the landlords in the community, the property owners in the community, to accept (housing) vouchers.”

Nicola Rodrigues, director of resource coordination and program development at the Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS) and a member of the Oxford Housing Advisory Committee, said while some apartment complexes in Oxford take housing vouchers, “It would be nice if more property managers and more landlords would take those and then that would increase the availability of housing for low-income families.”

Rodrigues said there are several property managers TOPSS has been working with who are willing to give low-income families an opportunity to rent, but it would be “ideal” if every landlord had options for all levels of income. She said affordable housing would include rent rates of around $600-$700 per month, which is “hard to find.”

“I think there is a need for more housing for low-income families here in Oxford,” Rodrigues said.

She said there could be a combination of situations adding up to this, including that Miami is the largest employer in a small city, and there is otherwise less of a variety of work options, especially in the summer when businesses temporarily close as students move out.

“Because the students are gone, there are fewer customers, so they’re not operating at full capacity,” Rodrigues said. “Jobs get cut at the university and even just in the community, and as a result, then we see people are not able to now pay their rent because most of them (our clients) ... are going paycheck to paycheck.”

TOPSS provides year-round rent and utility assistance to people in the Talawanda School District, as well as a food pantry. Rodrigues said the organization can also help people access clothing vouchers and some household appliances or furniture through its connections with Uptown Threads, ShareFest and Lyn’s Daughter downsizing service.

Anyone in need of assistance may reach out via email at info@topss.org or by phone at (513) 523-5859.