Mid-Missouri homeless resource centers preparing for upcoming winter season

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Multiple Mid-Missouri homeless resource centers are preparing for the upcoming winter season.

The 2024 Point in Time Count which counts all of the people in the state experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, tallied 7,338 people. In Region 5 -- which represents much of Mid-Missouri -- the 2024 count stood at 624 people which is up slightly from 620 people in the 2023 count.

According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, 37 people died in Missouri last year from low body temperatures due to prolonged exposure to the cold.

In an effort to stay warm outside, some homeless individuals start warming fires, but sometimes these get out of hand. This includes the downtown fire at Noodles and Company on March 17 and the Orr Street Studios fire on July 21.

The Columbia Fire Department told ABC 17 News there were 19 warming fires in 2023 that were connected to a homeless individual who was trespassing and using fire for warming cooking or arson. So far in 2024, 18 fires have caused $682,200 worth of damage in Columbia.

Room at the Inn - Columbia

Room at the Inn in Columbia serves as a warming and overnight shelter for people without permeant homes. It is located at 1509 Ashley St., which is just south of Interstate 70.

As of Oct. 23, the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness said 413 people are considered homeless in Boone County.

"We're turning away more people due to being full," RATI Executive Director John Trapp said. "That's the main way we're being impacted.

RATI has increased its capacity this month to 95 beds, and Trapp said they are full most nights. He said RATI is bolstering its staff to accommodate the increase in capacity.

"This was our first summer being open," Trapp said. "We've traditionally been a winter time shelter...we expected fewer over the summer."

Trapp said shelter check-in each night starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m.

Eventually, RATI will fold into the Opportunity Campus which is run by the Voluntary Action Center. The Opportunity Campus will have an overnight shelter and a resource center to help get people back on their feet.

The $18.1 million Opportunity Campus is expected to open during the fall of 2025. The Voluntary Action Center says approximately 82% of the fundraising for the project has been secured.

Opportunity Campus leaders say they expect to serve about 10,000 people each year.

Warming Centers - Columbia

Columbia has multiple warming centers for individuals to use to get out of the cold temperatures.

• ARC (Activity and Recreation Center)
• City Hall
• Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services Building
• Columbia Public Library
• Salvation Army
• Salvation Army Harbor House

The hours of the warming centers can be found on the city's website.

The city also has a partnership with Turning Point at the Wilkes Boulevard. United Methodist Church to create a overnight shelter when the temperature is predicted to hit 25°F or below between 7 p.m.-7 a.m.

Kari Utterback, of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services. said last season, the overnight shelter at Turning Point was open for 11 nights. She said the maximum number of people who used the shelter on any of those nights was 55 people.

The city also lists multiple emergency shelters.

• Flourish (teenagers only)
• Salvation Army Harbor House
• True North (domestic violence)
• Welcome Home (veterans)

Center of Hope Family Shelter - Jefferson City

The Center of Hope Family Shelter in Jefferson City helps with emergency financial assistance, food, casework services, emergency shelter and transitional housing.

Center of Hope Director Brian Vogeler said the location on Jefferson Street. serves as a warming shelter when the temperature outside is below 32 degrees. He said the shelter has a first-come first-serve cold cot program with 15 cots.

Vogeler said in the past year, he feels like homelessness in Cole County has grown.

"We've been seeing new people from Columbia," Vogeler said. "In the past three years, we've seen a big uptick in single parents."

In 2023, shelter days shows it was full 92.6% of the year and served 22,583 meals.

Vogeler said the shelter will accept guests for the cold cot program at 8 p.m. on eligible nights.

Room at the Inn - Jefferson City

The Jefferson City Room at the Inn is a volunteer-staffed shelter which serves as an emergency, overnight warming shelter for those need a place to sleep.

Jefferson City spokeswoman Molly Bryan said there are no overnight temperature requirements for the shelter on Monroe Street to open. She said the facility will open for the winter season on Sunday, Dec. 1.

According to JCRATI, the organization serves up to 20 guests a night which is on a first-come, first serve basis. The hours of operation will be from 5:30 p.m.-7 a.m. JCRATI says check-in lasts from 5:30-9 p.m. and guests cannot check-in after that time.

Centralia

The City of Centralia has three emergency storm shelters available in the event of severe weather, according to Centralia City Clerk Marilyn Dick.

• First Baptist Church at 101 Collier St.
• First Christian Church at 229 South Rollins St.
• Holy Spirit Catholic Church at 404 South Rollins St.

Dick said these shelters are opened on an isolated basis. At the time of publication, Centralia does not have 24-hour warming centers.

Resources Available in Mid-Missouri

Multiple other resources including shelters, food pantries and resources are available in Mid-Missouri.