Op-Ed: Cincinnati families shouldn’t sleep in parking lots
The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports a shortage of more than 50,000 affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters in Greater Cincinnati. At the same time, Cincinnati’s median rent hit an all-time high in May 2025, reaching $1,460, placing affordable housing further out of reach for many working families.
As a short-term solution to a growing need, Cincinnati opened a “safe sleep lot” for families experiencing homelessness on April 30. This offers an organized and supportive place where parents and children living in their cars can park overnight and connect to services.
This initiative reflects the commitment of Cincinnati Public Schools’ Project Connect and their partners to find more creative ways to immediately support unhoused families in the city.
As the largest provider of family homelessness services in the region, Bethany House Services is standing alongside these partners. In 2025, Bethany House served half of all families receiving homelessness services in Hamilton County, and we expect to welcome many families from the safe sleep lot in the weeks ahead.
The safe sleep lot is an important step to care for the most vulnerable families in our community.
But when a community must open a parking lot for children to have a safer place to sleep, we are not solving the root problem. We are managing the most visible symptoms. This underscores how much work remains for creating more long-term housing solutions in our region.
Research from organizations such as the Urban Institute, Habitat for Humanity, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities consistently shows that stable housing is fundamental to a child’s well-being, improving health, educational, and economic outcomes across the board.
But for too many families across Greater Cincinnati, that stability is increasingly out of reach.
Bethany House has expanded its focus on homelessness prevention through efforts like the Housing Stability Collaborative, an initiative designed by Strategies to End Homelessness and funded by the City of Cincinnati. This work helps families remain housed before they ever experience homelessness, reducing trauma for children and maintaining stability in school, work, and community. It is also far more cost-effective than rehousing families after they enter shelter.
As this work has grown, one lesson is clear: the most effective form of homelessness prevention is a home that families can afford long-term.
Every child deserves not just a safe place for tonight, but a stable home for the future. The safe sleep lot is a necessary response for today. It reflects our community’s compassion and willingness to act, but it must also serve as a call to do more.
As a community, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to invest in housing solutions that work for families. This will require collaboration across nonprofit, philanthropic, government, and corporate partners.
When we do this, the benefits extend far beyond housing. Children are healthier and perform better in school. Families are stronger. Communities thrive.
Peg Dierkers, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of Bethany House Services, which provides prevention, emergency shelter, and rehousing for families experiencing homelessness.
Media Coverage:
– Cincinnati Enquirer
– AOL News
– Yahoo News
