Homeless Plan in Columbia

[CorgiMatt]

The Free Times today says they have been trying to clean up the national media's versions of the story and that the New York Times has updated their story.  Tameika Isaac Devine has a few words to say in the Free Times about the way Cameron Runyan has come across on the issue. 

 

"Let’s be clear: Columbia has not criminalized homelessness, contrary to what you may have read in the national media. Nobody is being forced to enter a shelter, or being scooped off the streets without having committed a crime. The interim police chief says he’s not willing to do that, and the homeless we’ve spoken with haven’t heard of any crackdowns. 

 

"That hasn’t stopped publications from Think Progress to the Huffington Post to the New York Times from reporting that Council has approved a plan to exile the city’s homeless population. (The Times has since updated its report.)" 

 

http://www.free-times.com/cover/no-direction-home

[vicupstate]

Excellent article by FT. Thanks for sharing.

[carolinagarnet]

It looks like City Council is looking to extend the shelter another 45 days (possibly longer) and they might need to install heating/air conditioning going forward. Has anyone noticed whether keeping the winter shelter open has had an impact on what it feels like to walk around Main Street?

[CorgiMatt]

It looks like City Council is looking to extend the shelter another 45 days (possibly longer) and they might need to install heating/air conditioning going forward. Has anyone noticed whether keeping the winter shelter open has had an impact on what it feels like to walk around Main Street?

I was never focused on the less fortunate doing anything to obstruct my enjoyment of downtown in the first place, but there is a noticeable difference since they have somewhere to to.  The next phase will involve City Council's reviewing and adopting, at least in part and perhaps with amendments, a committee's recommendations for a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem.  The committee presented its recommendations to the council yesterday or very recently.