A service initiative from Cincinnati Public Schools will begin offering families experiencing homelessness a safe place to sleep in their vehicles starting April 30.
The “Safe Sleep” lot will be located on the grounds of Taft Elementary School in Cincinnati and is part of Project Connect, a district-led program that supports students and families in need.
The initiative will allow families and students to stay overnight in a designated parking area. Rebeka Beach, program manager for Project Connect, emphasized that the program is not a long-term solution but a step toward providing safety and dignity.
“We don’t look at this necessarily as a solution,” Beach said. “But the fact is we do have families who are sleeping in their vehicles, and we want to provide them with dignity and respect. We also want to provide them with safety.”
According to the nonprofit Upspring, more than 8,000 children in Cincinnati experience homelessness each year. The city also has one of the highest child poverty rates among major U.S. cities, at 53.1%.
Project Connect, established in 1996, offers a range of services to unhoused students and their families, including access to food, school supplies, household items, and connections to job training and legal assistance.
“Safe Sleep” is the latest addition to the program, designed to address the immediate needs of families currently living in their vehicles.
Leave a Comment