Room at the Inn opens temporary shelter for homeless at new location
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
On Monday, Room at the Inn is set to open an emergency shelter at a new location
Organizers will welcome guests to the shelter at the old VFW Post 280 building at 1509 Ashley St. in Columbia. The move follows the Columbia City Council's approval of the more than $865,000 project in October.
The new location is expected to help shelter the homeless until the city builds a permanent option. That could take between one to three years, according to city leaders.
The temporary shelter features a large meeting room that can seat more than 300 people, a lounge, and a commercial kitchen.
The site will open Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. On Sundays, the shelter will open from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m.
The temporary site is scheduled to operate until April 2.
On Monday, GoCOMO buses will start to stop at the shelter using the orange route. The change means buses will only stop along Park Avenue, North Fifth Street, and the four remaining stops along Wilkes Boulevard once per route instead of the previous two.
Columbia also set up a contact with Turning Point, which will serve as an overnight shelter when the temperature drops below 25 degrees.
The Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church will open for people as a last resort amid cold temperatures from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.
Anyone who needs a warm place to stay during the day can visit warming centers across Columbia.
Daytime warming centers:
- The Arc, (Activity and Recreation Center), 1701 W. Ash St.
- City hall, 701 E. Broadway
- Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, 1005 W. Worley St.
- The Salvation Army, 1108 W. Ash St.
