Cincinnati Public Schools has opened a first-of-its-kind Safe Sleep Lot; the ribbon-cutting on Thursday was a step toward helping those who need it most find housing in Cincinnati.
The Safe Sleep Lot, located at William Howard Taft Elementary at 270 Southern Ave., will be operated through the self-funded nonprofit Project Connect, a partner of Cincinnati Public Schools, and is designed to provide families experiencing homelessness a safe, secure place to sleep while connecting them to housing resources, food and support services.
“We are the first school district in Ohio and the first in the nation to do this kind of thing,” said Joe Wessels, a CPS media relations associate.
The CPS Safe Sleep Lot will serve as a bridge for families experiencing homelessness. It offers a secure place to stay while accelerating access to shelter and long-term housing, Wessels said.
“We want people to feel safe and sleep,” Wessels said. “If you don’t sleep, you can’t learn.”
In Greater Cincinnati, 25% of children experiencing homelessness graduate from high school, according to data from Upspring, a regional nonprofit dedicated to serving the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Wessels added that when the district first announced the Safe Sleep Lot, the community reaction was extraordinary.
“It warms me to see how the community responded,” Wessels said.
The site, through donations, provides restroom facilities, car charging ports, blankets and pillows, and access to meals through community partnerships, while helping families connect to services within 24 hours, according to Wessels. This initiative reflects Cincinnati Public Schools’ commitment to supporting the whole child and removing barriers to learning by addressing basic needs. The secure lot will have fencing, a closed gate and a security guard.
Cincinnati has the second-highest child poverty rate among the 76 largest cities in the country, according to Upspring. Ohio had 25,550 students experiencing homelessness during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
A federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, requires school districts to address homelessness within their district, Wessels added. The Safe Sleep Lot is how CPS is answering that federal requirement.
As the weather gets chillier in November, the district will close the lot, but it is working with nearby churches to allow those needing a sleeping space to stay until the warmer months.