Homeless Plan in Columbia

[krazeeboi]

Welcome to the forum, Alleyway! Thanks for the contribution and don't be a stranger.

[Captain Worley]

That's interesting. But I'd say they're more likely to wander up North Main than to wander around the Elmwood Park neighborhood, no?

I don't see any wandering of N. Main around that time. Just crossing Elmwood and hanging out at Bojangle's and McDonald's. probably a breakfasttime thing.

[Alleyway]

Welcome to the forum, Alleyway! Thanks for the contribution and don't be a stranger.

Thanks! I'll try to post from time to time...

[krazeeboi]

The new homeless services center at Main and Elmwood could begin construction as early as October and is slated to open in early 2011.

[CorgiMatt]

The Cooperative Ministries and the City of Columbia have announced what they are calling a major step forward in helping solve the city's homelessness problem. In the deal, USC will administer mental health and substance addiction counseling.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11281114

[krazeeboi]

Lexington County social service agencies, town halls, and churches refer the homeless to cold-weather shelters in Columbia, a practice some Midlands leaders say should change. No one keeps count of how many homeless travel across the Congaree River, but some officials suspect the trip is too difficult for most. That's another illustration that homelessness in Lexington County - the site of some of the area's priciest residences - is largely invisible, some social services officials said.

[Spartan]

And further proof that Richland County has to deal with Lexington's problems caused by it not funding some basic level of public services (transit is the other one).

I'm not quite the staunch conservative that I used to be, but the 'conservative' approach to homelessness is generally that there are private organizations (like churches/soup kitchens, etc) that can and do provide these services for the needy through their own fundraising efforts. But Lexington is not practicing what it preaches (no pun intended), and yet again Columbia/Richland is picking up the tab. Quit mooching, Lexington!

[CorgiMatt]

USC's director of Supportive Housing Services says Columbia's Housing First initiative has so far served 148% more people than involved parties thought it would to this point. Sixty-two chronically homeless people have been moved off the street and into housing, with a 100% success rate for those who have been in housing for a year or more through the program. Mayor Bob Coble says that since it has been documented that the city has only around 150 to 200 chronically homeless people (not transiently homeless and therefore not part of the larger current homeless count), an expansion of the Housing First initiative should resolve the problem. That opinion doesn't speak to the population that will become chronically homeless as the currently chronically homeless become housed, but there's no reason it can't continue to be expanded as needed. The program seems very worthwhile to me.

http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/33106-report-columbia-rsquo-s-housing-first-program-gets-homeless-off-streets?rss=0

[krazeeboi]

Well it's good to see that the program is being successful. I hope it tremendously helps with the public perception of homelessness downtown.

[krazeeboi]

Last week, backhoes began tearing into the old Salvation Army facility on Main Street between Elmwood and Calhoun, pulling apart the two-story former motel. The demolition is the first physical step toward the new 51,000-square-foot homeless center planned by the Midlands Housing Alliance and scheduled to open in April 2011.

[CorgiMatt]

I love how that surface parking lot is going to be hidden by a wall. Also, the big patio will allow those being served some privacy instead of forcing them to hang around on the sidewalk.

[krazeeboi]

The president of Mast General Store wrote a letter to city council members last week detailing issues the store is having with homeless persons in the vicinity, saying that they have created an unwelcome environment for shoppers and employees. It was noted that it seemed like the problem has gotten worse within the past 6 months or so. A couple of other Main Street merchants agree, and others say the problem is mostly one of perception. Either way, I hope this is the kick in the pants the city needs to finally deal with the homeless issue decisively.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2013/07/16/2865084/are-the-homeless-hurting-columbias.html

[carolinagarnet]

I read through some of the comments and it seems there are a few problems:

 

- Oliver Gospel Mission is directly across the street and closes its doors to the homeless between sunrise and sunset.

 

- Transitions, a homeless outreach center, was built directly on Main Street (asinine idea).

 

- There is very little police presence on the street.

 

- A lot of the homeless service organizations are located downtown.

 

Frankly I think the city needs to work with these centers and organizations to move them out of the main business/shopping district. The area will continue to have safety or perceived safety issues if homeless people and vagrants continue to roam around downtown all day. It's hard enough drawing people to Main Street.

[CorgiMatt]

I read through some of the comments and it seems there are a few problems:

 

- Oliver Gospel Mission is directly across the street and closes its doors to the homeless between sunrise and sunset.

 

- Transitions, a homeless outreach center, was built directly on Main Street (asinine idea).

 

- There is very little police presence on the street.

 

- A lot of the homeless service organizations are located downtown.

 

Frankly I think the city needs to work with these centers and organizations to move them out of the main business/shopping district. The area will continue to have safety or perceived safety issues if homeless people and vagrants continue to roam around downtown all day. It's hard enough drawing people to Main Street.

 

 

Moving them out of downtown is Cameron Runyan's plan.  That said, the Oliver Gospel Mission was sitting right where it sits now during Main Street's "hey day" that negatively nostalgic old-timers around here say will never come back.    

[carolinagarnet]

I'm sure there were other factors that helped mitigate the mission's presence, but the difference is the same options did not exist at the time so all retailers had to be downtown. Now with Sandhills, Trenham, Cross Hill, Harbison, Five Points, Devine, the Vista, and all of the other shopping plazas, retailers can choose to locate elsewhere and get the same or better traffic. I know OGM has been there for 120 years, but it certainly is not helping the area's image as an up-and-coming retail district. I know it's a harsh way to talk about the homeless population, but they jeopardize the retail growth of Main Street.

[CorgiMatt]

My computer hung up a while ago and my last comment didn't post.  

 

The Oliver Gospel Mission was sitting exactly where it sits now during the so-called "hey day" of Main Street that negatively nostalgic old-timers won't shut up about. 

[carolinagarnet]

Apparently City Council is considering a plan to convert the winter shelter into a 24-hour facility. I really hope they find a way to work out the logistical challenges because the ever present wanderers seem to be the single largest issue for business owners on Main Street. Shifting the facilities and services away from downtown makes sense for the city and creating a full time shelter accommodates people who have nowhere to go between meals when Oliver Gospel Mission is closed.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/19/2930011/columbias-plan-to-address-homelessness.html

[growingup15]

Apparently City Council is considering a plan to convert the winter shelter into a 24-hour facility. I really hope they find a way to work out the logistical challenges because the ever present wanderers seem to be the single largest issue for business owners on Main Street. Shifting the facilities and services away from downtown makes sense for the city and creating a full time shelter accommodates people who have nowhere to go between meals when Oliver Gospel Mission is closed.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/19/2930011/columbias-plan-to-address-homelessness.html

Hey if they make a shelter for the ones who is trying to get back on their feet thats good. as long as the city doesnt do like what Atlanta did when they packed up all the homeless people and shipped them 30 miles outside of town on purpose.

 

I really hope the city make it so they can provide jobs for the homeless to help them get out of the streets, I personally know that feeling of being homeless. so i hope this is the next step for columbia.

[CorgiMatt]

What if the homeless turn south before they get to the cut-off point and the Vista gets them all?  

[Spartan]

It doesn't seem to be a very well thought out idea. I mean, I understand the need to do something about the homeless population, but it seems like some lines may have been crossed. It's not illegal to be homeless, and it shouldn't be illegal to walk around a city regardless of economic circumstance.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/17/2926212/columbia-homeless-plan-draws-heated.html

[CorgiMatt]

It doesn't seem to be a very well thought out idea. I mean, I understand the need to do something about the homeless population, but it seems like some lines may have been crossed. It's not illegal to be homeless, and it shouldn't be illegal to walk around a city regardless of economic circumstance.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/17/2926212/columbia-homeless-plan-draws-heated.html

Read this report from Free Times.  It's more accurate regarding what has and hasn't been agreed to.

 

http://www.free-times.com/news/emergency-homeless-proposal-raises-new-issues

[carolinagarnet]

This story has absolutely exploded over the past few days. The story in the NY Times was pretty fair, I think, and gave the backstory about development and the increase in the homeless population in the last few years. This makes the city look very bad though. I think Benjamin needs to issue a statement assuring citizens that the homelessness in and of itself is not a crime and that the police will not be used to illegally detain citizens. Let's hope something comes soon because the longer the city is silent, the louder the outrage becomes.

[CorgiMatt]

This story has absolutely exploded over the past few days. The story in the NY Times was pretty fair, I think, and gave the backstory about development and the increase in the homeless population in the last few years. This makes the city look very bad though. I think Benjamin needs to issue a statement assuring citizens that the homelessness in and of itself is not a crime and that the police will not be used to illegally detain citizens. Let's hope something comes soon because the longer the city is silent, the louder the outrage becomes.

The Free Times has been clear that the authorities are saying being homeless is not and will not be a crime in Columbia.  A group of attorneys today said the plan will absolutely stand up to the constitution.  One of them said everyone has the right to be on the street, but no one has the right to live on the street.  If no loitering means no loitering and it's possible to loiter while sleeping and sleep while loitering, I think he's right.  I think the greater good will win out, that being true help for the homeless population overall and an image of a city that cares about its citizens who have nowhere to go but a shelter.  If the national media were being fair, they would retract parts of their stories and report on the news in the Free Times. 

[carolinagarnet]

I agree. The problem is the Free Times is too small of a paper to get picked up and the only way to contest the hyperbolic national stories is with a clarifying statement. It should have been released immediately because they missed the opportunity to contain the story during the 24-hour news cycle. Now it is stretching out over an entire week and since NY Times stories are picked up nationally, I fear it will continue to show up in newspapers across the country.

[krazeeboi]

^It is. It was in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on yesterday or the day before.