COMMUNITY SHELTER BOARD

Community Shelter Board (CSB) leads the coordinated response to homelessness in Franklin County and the Central Ohio region. CSB was founded in 1986 on the vision that no one in our community should be homeless for even one night.

As the system leader for the prevention and response to homelessness in central Ohio, we align the work of funded partner agencies in Franklin County, designing and overseeing an efficient, outcomes-driven system to address homelessness at scale and invest in housing as the clear priority. CSB's network of 16 partner agencies delivers an array of services, including homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, street outreach, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. Together, we drive lasting change through a system that prioritizes outcomes, quality, and impact for people facing homelessness in central Ohio. Over the past 10 years, CSB’s system of care has housed 30,000 adults and children facing homelessness.

CSB acts as a regional catalyst, driving change by influencing policy, innovating solutions, and advancing justice to optimize our community’s response to homelessness and achieve the best outcomes for our most vulnerable neighbors. CSB is one of only 15 Unified Funded Agencies (UFA) in the United States, designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to manage and distribute Continuum of Care (CoC) program funds. In this role, CSB acts as a central administrator, ensuring the efficient allocation of federal funding and compliance with federal regulations. We engage with government leaders, funders, service providers, and the public to spark collaboration, share best practices, and address the root causes of homelessness and housing instability.

CSB is committed to optimizing our system of care to ensure it aligns with local housing market realities and opportunities, provides equitable and suitable interventions for each household, and diverts people facing homelessness to safe and stable housing. On average, our system of care serves 15,000 people annually through programs that prevent homelessness, provide outreach to people living on the street, provide emergency shelter when needed, and make available financial assistance, community resources, and stable housing to people experiencing homelessness through permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing programs.

CSB is funded by the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Ohio, United Way of Central Ohio, The Columbus Foundation, Nationwide Foundation, American Electric Power Foundation, Bath & Body Works, and many other public and private investors.