Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority Executive Director Tom O’Connell told Medina City Council on June 22 that Next Step Up, Medina County’s first emergency homeless shelter, has served 304 people since opening in February 2025 and continues to operate near capacity.
Speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, O’Connell said 176 of those guests – more than half – came from the city of Medina, while 83% of all shelter guests have been Medina County residents.
Over the shelter’s first 16 months, 35 children have stayed at the facility, including six children ranging from 4 months to 17 years old who were staying there as recently as last month…