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Councilmember reports rise in homelessness and senior homelessness; calls for more affordable rental units
Summary
Councilmember Nick Foster reported increased counts on the by‑name priority list for homelessness—from about 210 in Dec. 2023 to 338 in Dec. 2024—and flagged an increase in seniors experiencing homelessness. He urged long‑term strategies including more affordable multifamily rental units and noted shelters’ high occupancy.
Councilmember Nick Foster told the Columbia City Council on Feb. 3 that local homelessness indicators show an increase in need and shifting demographics.
Foster discussed Project Homeless Connect on Jan. 23, which had 119 clients in attendance—lower than prior years’ 135–150 typical attendance—and cited cold weather and venue changes as possible reasons. He pointed to the by‑name priority list maintained by the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness as the most reliable measure: that list rose from about 210 people in December 2023 to about 338 in December 2024, an increase of roughly 120 people.
Shelter providers reported high occupancy: Room at the Inn reported 88 guests on one night (their capacity is 94 beds), Flourish (youth services) was full, and shelter space for domestic‑violence survivors had limited availability. Foster also flagged an increase in older adults: on Jan. 28 the shelter had 58 guests, six of whom were over 60; on the same date the following year there were 88 guests with 16 over 60, including four people aged 70. Foster said some of those older adults were chronically homeless and that several individuals known to shelter providers were deceased.
Foster said practitioners consistently identify the lack of affordable rental housing as the primary barrier to placing people into stable housing. He described the need for more multifamily rental units affordable to low‑income households and suggested the Housing Trust Fund as one tool to experiment with new housing strategies. He framed the situation as a long‑term challenge that requires managing immediate needs while developing housing capacity.
