City of Columbia no longer pursuing pallet shelters, reallocates funds to three projects
COLUMBIA, Mo.
The City of Columbia has decided not to move forward with investing in pallet shelters as a solution for homelessness, according to city spokeswoman Sydney Olsen.
Instead, the city has chosen to fund three key projects: The Voluntary Action Center, the Food Bank, and the Columbia Community Land Trust.
Missouri has been experiencing a significant rise in homelessness for several years. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported a 39.2% increase in homeless youth.
Additionally, the organization Empower Missouri noted a 12% rise in overall homelessness and a 24% increase in unsheltered homelessness between 2022 and 2023.
In Columbia, city officials continue to explore the best ways to address this issue.
Previously, the city was considering investing in pallet shelters that would have been paid for with American Rescue Funds. It was previously awarded $500,000 in ARPA funds to go toward emergency shelters.
After further evaluation, the city decided the shelters were not the best solution to address housing gaps, especially with the recent expansion of emergency shelter services, Olsen said.
In a statement sent to ABC 17 News via email Olsen confirmed the decision, emphasizing the need for alternative approaches.
"The City is not currently pursuing pallet shelters in Columbia. After doing more research on the pallet shelters, staff did not feel they would be best suited to help fill gaps in housing for residents experiencing homelessness due to the expansion of emergency shelter services," the statement reads.
While initially supportive of the pallet shelter idea, Executive Director of Room at the Inn John Trapp said he supports the city's shift toward long-term solutions.
"I'm mostly an optimist, so I thought it was a good thing. I also thought it was a lot of money to spend on a short term solution," Trapp said.
According to city documents, the CCLT will use $50,000 of its ARPA funds to help Job Point build a property at 903 N. Garth Ave. Once the house is built, it will be given to the CCLT, which will ensure the home remains affordable for the long term.
The city is changing how payments from the ARPA funds are handled.
Currently, the CCLT can receive funds at the time of property purchase, instead of waiting for 10 days after submitting paperwork. However, CCLT still needs to complete necessary paperwork, funding agreements, deeds of trust, and promissory notes for each property. This change ensures the $1 million in ARPA funds is fully committed by the federal deadline of December 31, 2024.
The city agreed to partner with The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri to fight food insecurity by providing over 259,000 pounds of food for Columbia households. The initial plan also included funding to renovate, relocate, and rebrand the Central Pantry.
However, The Food Bank started work on the pantry renovation before the agreement was finalized. Since ARPA funds can't be used to cover costs incurred before the agreement, those expenses couldn't be reimbursed.
To work around this, the city shifted to a "purchase of service" model, focusing on directly funding food distribution. The agreement’s funding increased from $500,000 to $633,333.33 to provide even more food to households in need.
For the third project, the city will remove part of an outdated utility easement of Lot 3B in the "The Village of Cherry Hill, Plat 3" due to the utilities being moved to accommodate a larger building project.
The planned building was approved in March 2024 as part of a development plan. The building’s footprint was expanded into an area where utilities, a waterline and electric lines were previously located.
