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Advocates urge Columbia council to pursue housing-first, centralized services for unsheltered residents
Summary
Speakers called on the City of Columbia and Richland County to prioritize permanent housing and coordinated services over dispersal or criminalization, citing undercounts of those experiencing homelessness and pointing to successful programs in other cities.
Dozens of residents and advocates urged Columbia City Council on Aug. 19 to adopt a housing-first approach and a centralized services model for people experiencing homelessness, saying feeding programs alone do not address long-term needs.
"The most recent count identified over 1,400 people experiencing homelessness across the county, with at least 334 chronically unsheltered residents," said Mustafa Abdullah, a longtime homelessness advocate, adding that local advocates and officials believe the true figure may be closer to 2,000. "When we talk about banning Good Samaritan volunteers from…
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