Licking County program takes unique approach to dealing with homelessness
NEWARK, Ohio (WCMH) — Amid rising homelessness in central Ohio, Newark city leaders have introduced a new initiative aimed at helping nonviolent offenders who are experiencing homelessness.
HOME court stands for Housing Opportunities through Municipal Engagement. The special diversion court is a voluntary, pre-conviction court designed to first address emergency housing, then look at services that will keep people housed and help get them back on their feet, with the ultimate goal of dismissing the charges against them.
Newark City Law Director Tricia Moore and assistant law director Melanie Timmerman created HOME court after Newark City Council passed a camping ban in October of last year.
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'If we don't treat the enforcement of those ordinances in a way that solves the problem, we're just moving people around and they're leaving our system the same way they came in,' Moore said.
The ban criminalizes public camping, classifying it as a misdemeanor that could result in fines and jail time. That decision drew criticism from community members who argued it unfairly targets unhoused people.
'We've worked to build partnerships with almost 30 community organizations who have said, 'Yes, we want to partner,'' Timmerman said. 'So, we try to connect that individual through their action plan with services that they need that are identified as being beneficial for them to address some of the issues that led to their being homeless.'
Magistrate Teresa Liston oversees HOME court cases. She comes from an extensive background in eviction court.
'People leave here with children, pets, their possessions and have absolutely no place to go,' Liston said. 'You then come to understand homelessness in a very different way.'
Liston took on extra work with HOME court because she said she believes in it.
'Here's an opportunity where we can take criminal justice,' Liston said. 'The players within criminal justice and turn this into an opportunity for the community's general health.'
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In Liston's second-ever HOME court case Wednesday morning, she asked the program participant if she wanted a lawyer.
'She said 'No,' she was totally comfortable with the team, and she felt totally confident that this process would give her what she needs right now,' Liston said. 'This is a mother of four who has no home.'
That was Moore's goal for the program.
'I want to restore humanity,' Moore said. 'I want to restore dignity, and I want to restore them back into our society in the manner that they deserve to be restored to.'
HOME court doesn't use probation officers. Instead, it looks at each individual case to tailor the program to that person's needs.
'We're trying to avoid the appearance of criminalizing or penalizing people for being homeless,' Moore said. 'So, we're using someone who is more like a social worker to monitor their progress so it's less intimidating.'
According to leaders, since it's expanded countywide for the first time, HOME court will be able to provide real data on homelessness, something the county lacked before to the program.
'That can help the leaders in this community make decisions for the future of a community that is growing rapidly, and they need that information to make the decisions the public can trust them to make,' Liston said.
Leaders hope this shows people the criminal justice system is not an enemy, but an ally.
'We know that the work ahead of us is large, and we're not going to be able to save everybody,' Moore said. 'But if we can change one person, it changes the whole community.'
HOME court is held every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Licking County Municipal Court. Each participant also receives a free boxed lunch.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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