Columbia City Council meeting to discuss a report that outlines efforts to end homelessness

Watch the city council meeting replay in the player below.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia City Council is expected to share a report on homelessness with the public Monday, according to its agenda.

The report addresses the issue of homelessness in the community by giving citizens a deeper look into the resources provided by the city and state to end homelessness.

The report also provides information about the city's overnight warming center program.

The report outlines the city's long played leadership role in addressing homelessness in the community, but contracting with local providers for human, healthcare, and housing assistance services; supporting community providers, and coordinating state, federal and local resources.

The report says the city has spent decades contracted with community base providers for human, health and housing services. Funding for these contracts is primarily from city general revenue social services funding and federal CDBG/HOME funding received by the city.

Room at the Inn, Project Bridge, The Salvation Army Harbor House, and Turning Point are homeless services outline in the report.

Columbia Housing Authority, Central Missouri Community Action, Love Columbia, Rock the Community, and Voluntary Action Center are housing assistance services outlined in the report.

Major Curtiss Hartley, Regional Coordinator for The Salvation Army Mid-Missouri Region, says from his experience working in homeless services, there are two different camps of homeless in the Mid-Missouri area.

"There are the chronically homeless, that due to mental issues/abuse issues, they are and have been chronically homeless for years. Sometimes they are comfortable living and sleeping outside. Then there are the new and truly homeless, who in particularly because of COVID have seen life changes come their way, that they find themselves without a place to sleep or a place to stay," Hartley said.

Hartley said all the local homeless service agencies are working with the goal in mind to potentially end homelessness.

"They're working towards Functional O which is a great goal. It's a really big matter its much more than people might think seeing someone on the corner with a sign in many respects it's a relatively invisible problem," Hartley said.

Hartley said it takes a lot of resources and logistics to operate an agency and the city shouldn't have to deal with the issues alone.

"There are issues that most of us take for granted and don't think about what it takes to operate a facility like that as far as the security, the material goods provided to them, the clean up afterwards," Hartley said. "In our perspective the city shouldn't have to deal with those things, the private sector is really the one that has the expertise and has the experience in dealing with those issues."

Hartley said he praises the city for looking for solutions to solve some of the issues faced when operating services for the homeless.

"I praise the city for intentionally looking for for solutions to solve the issue and as they pointed out, I think it's very important that they are able to partner with those of us in the in the business of providing services to those facing poverty, to trust our experience, our expertise, our capacities and abilities to continue to do so," Hartley said.

Hartley said the agencies wish is that it can continue to partner with the city and receive funds to restructure and grow its operation.

"Our hope is obviously that some of the funds that have been made available this past year in particular, could help facilities such as The Salvation Army and others have partnerships in town with developing additional facilities, growing our facilities to be able to handle the larger capacities that are needed right now," Hartley said.

Hartley said the city should be able to county on the private sector.

"And so it really should be that the city can count on the private sector, those agencies who are partnering with city and county and state governments. We're the ones who have the facilities, we have personnel, we have the experience, and so use those funds to help us expand what you're doing to be able to meet that need," Hartley said.

Hartley said there are ways community can contribute to aid homeless services.

"Two ways one of the first and easiest is to financially support those of us who are in the business. It does cost a lot to staff and to run facilities and those kinds of things. So donating funds and blankets and pillows and those kinds of things to any of us agencies could could be a certain benefit." Hartley said. "Another way that they could get involved is going to city council and being informed and educated and speaking up for that the city shouldn't be be in a position of having to use their tax dollars or their federal dollars that are coming to them to provide a service that many of us in the private sector are willing and available and experienced with handling."

In support of the community's goal to end homelessness, established at the Homelessness Summit hosted by the city in 2016, a large amount of the city's social services funding has been allocated to homeless services for FY2022.

The FY2022 social services contracts include $302,446.29 for homeless services. In 2016, the city was investing $68,200.00 in homeless services.

By increasing the fund, the city had to reduce the number and amounts of contracts for children, you, and family services and mental health services. The cuts were made due to the passage of the Boone County Children's Services and Medicaid expansion.

The city says its proud that with intensive support, none of its shelters closed doors or stopped accepting new guests throughout the pandemic.

Funding for programming to address homelessness in the city is provided by a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources, private foundations and support organizations, faith based organizations, and direct support for non-profit providers.

The report says city staff play a key role in spreading the word to the community on available resources. Many community members have access to state, and federal resources, and philanthropic resources.

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