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A Center For Our Homeless
June 30, 2008
My good friend Dean Guess from the Rosewood neighborhood emailed me last week to urge my attendance at the June 26 press conference at the Salvation Army Center on Main Street. Dean shared the concerns of thousands in our city that it is now time for Columbia to address the issue of homelessness in a significant and compelling manner. I quickly confirmed with Dean my plans to attend and joined over 300 city residents for the early morning gathering. A coalition of business, community, and faith leaders organized as the Midlands Housing Alliance announced exciting plans to establish a comprehensive shelter and service center for the homeless. This new center will focus on providing the necessary transitional services to help our most needy citizens move out of a condition of homelessness and will operate 24/7 - 365 days a year.
Securing the funding for this type of initiative is no easy task, and I was delighted to hear that the Alliance had secured a special $5 million dollar challenge gift from the Knight Foundation to "jump start" the effort. The Alliance will secure a 5 million dollar match from the general community and may likely request additional funding from surrounding government entities, including the City of Columbia. I know that there is widespread community support for a comprehensive center, and have heard from many District 3 residents about the city's need to be an active player in this effort. I was not surprised to see a number of District 3 residents assuming leadership roles with the Midlands Housing Alliance Board including Bobby Lyles, Greg Lapointe, and Julie Ann Avin. Other District 3 residents in at the announcement included Gayle Averyt, Rev. Joy Cantrell, Betty Lumpkin Gregory, Dean Guess, Ted Speth, John Stucker, Bud Tibshrany, Julian Walker, and Von Williams. There are an estimated 900-1500 homeless in our area and some one-fifth of them are veterans. We see these individuals every day in our downtown business districts, parks, neighborhoods, and our library. We can and must do better. As Alliance Board member Cathy Novinger pointed out, there are still many details to be identified and resolved in establishing the new center. When the City enters the discussion, it must do everything possible to ensure that the best possible center is put in place. We must keep an open mind on the Midland Housing Alliance proposal as we search for more meaningful ways to effectively and humanly address this significant community challenge.