Winter solstice on December 21 is the longest night of the year — and also National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. To commemorate, Montgomery County’s Homeless Solutions held a vigil in Dayton to remember those who experienced homelessness and died in 2023.
Local groups and community members gathered at Courthouse Square to remember the 58 people who experienced homelessness and died in the county this year.
Dozens of shoes lined Courthouse Square as the crowd joined the Dayton Target Choir to sing Let There Be Peace on Earth, and the names of the lives lost were read out.
Data shows that over the past year, 3,833 householdsexperienced homelessness in Montgomery County, which is as high as before the covid-19 pandemic. In the US, people experiencing homelessness are three timesmore likely to die than the general public.
At the vigil, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. announced Dayton’s plan to address the issue, saying an additional $1.1 million per year over the next eight years into the whole process.
“I would like the numbers (in homelessness) to be zero. I'd like to see zero. And we will do everything we can to help it move closer and closer to that number,” he said.
Tom Stricker from Living Beatitudes, said the rise in homelessness needs to be addressed urgently.
“ Let's go and tell everyone how connected we are and that every one of us makes a difference in challenging homelessness in our community.
Earlier this year, the City of Dayton hosted several events, including an art exhibit and an annual symposium, to address homelessness and housing justice.
