10/26/17 – 5:01 A.M.

There are plenty of jobs and a low unemployment rate in Hancock County, but homelessness remains an issue. That’s according to the speakers at an annual breakfast for Hope House donors. The Courier reports three Hope House case managers talked about the lack of affordable housing in Findlay during a Wednesday morning event. Hope House CEO Angela Crist says there are around 100 people or families facing homelessness on any given night in Hancock County.

The case managers said the area’s labor shortage is actually a driver of homelessness. Hope House officials say people who move to Findlay to work often can’t find an affordable place to live. As a result, they end up staying with a friend or living with two or three families under one roof. In extreme cases, they end up living out of their car.

Crist says the agency is working with area employers to talk about how they can help workers get past the issues that prevent them from finding secure housing.

Those on hand at the breakfast said that low paying jobs, lack of transportation and access to child care are issues for people trying to secure housing.

MORE: The Courier