Residents, service providers press Aiken council for faster action on homelessness and shelter services
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Summary
Speakers at the April 13 Aiken City Council meeting urged faster local action on homelessness while providers described existing and planned resources, including a Salvation Army resource center and community-based outreach programs. Council members noted recent city funding and called for continued collaboration.
Residents and local service providers urged the Aiken City Council on April 13 to accelerate responses to homelessness even as longer-term facilities are planned.
At the meeting, Mary Anton, chair of the Aiken County Homeless Coalition, presented results from a Salvation Army–commissioned study and said 18% of Aiken households fall below the federal poverty level. She added that when households below the poverty level are combined with those in the ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) category, “the total number of households is 46% of all households in Aiken.” Anton said the findings show urgent need for services and welcomed the Salvation Army’s planned resource center.
Kirk Johnson, who gave an account of daily street outreach, argued the city must provide interim solutions before new facilities are completed, citing cases in which people who had been placed in hotels were later evicted. He described transportation limits and the need to connect people to jobs and services, noting a forthcoming data center that may increase local labor demand.
Lex Barry, pastor of C4 Impact, described program operations: C4’s Greenville Street site has operated one year and the group recently added three beds and is negotiating additional houses, including a mid‑summer opening for women and possibly mothers with children. Barry said C4 coordinates cleanups with Cleanup Aiken and NewSpring Church and has arranged a taxi account to transport clients to appointments.
Council members responded by highlighting recent city support: the council discussed prior allocations of $400,000 for a shelter, $25,000 to the Homeless Coalition, and $75,000 for neighborhood efforts, and urged continuation of partnerships with faith groups and nonprofits. Council members asked the public to provide specific ideas for what the city could do now, including networking for funding and program partnerships.
The discussion produced no formal directive or new spending authorization at the meeting; council members said staff and the delegation will continue coordination with housing partners and that some proposals require state or federal approvals. The council then moved on to other agenda items.
