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Aiken residents and advocates press council over proposed Salvation Army resource center; city says location undecided
Summary
Multiple residents, service providers and advocates addressed the Aiken City Council on June 8 over a proposed Salvation Army centralized resource center, urging better communication, describing urgent needs among households facing homelessness, and asking for transparency about site selection; the city reiterated that no parcel has been confirmed.
Dozens of residents and nonprofit advocates spoke during the public-comment period at the June 8 Aiken City Council meeting about a proposed centralized Salvation Army resource center, pressing the council for clearer communications and support for people experiencing homelessness.
Tyrone Watson, who said he lives on T Street, criticized council members for making decisions without neighborhood input and warned he and other residents would organize against incumbents unless they see changes in trash pickup and neighborhood stewardship. "Every time y'all get ready to stick up some y'all coming out of the neighborhood," Watson said, adding residents feel ignored.
Mary Anton, a volunteer with the Aiken County Homeless Coalition and caseworker at the Saint Vincent de Paul food pantry, urged the council to support the Salvation Army’s centralized resource center and shared program statistics from the Salvation Army’s Life Nav program: in April, 34 of 38 formerly homeless individuals were placed in sustainable housing, she said. Anton characterized the recent rise in homelessness as driven largely by economic pressures and cited a 46% figure for households struggling to cover basic budgets as reported by the Salvation Army’s survey.
Community advocates and service providers — including a representative of C4 Impact who reported recent placements into permanent housing and the opening of cooling/station services — urged cooperation between the city and nonprofits. A community speaker who identified themselves as an advocate emphasized that residents and organizers want to help, not obstruct, and asked for more direct engagement from city leaders.
Mayor Teddy Milner and city staff used the meeting to respond to circulating speculation. In an introductory announcement the council clarified two points: Salvation Army leadership had told city staff that it had not settled on a location as of that morning, and the city had not encouraged the Salvation Army to sell its Park Avenue property for redevelopment. City staff and a council member also said they would do a better job of communicating accurate information to counter false or misleading reports circulating online and in the community.
Several speakers asked for concrete assurances that the project — if sited in or near particular neighborhoods — would include measures to address public-safety and quality-of-life concerns. Council members and staff repeatedly emphasized they have not finalized a site, that planning and funding details are still subject to further review, and that staff will notify the public once decisions are firm.
The meeting did not include a formal vote on the resource center; council members noted staff and Salvation Army representatives are continuing studies and site selection work and encouraged continued public input.
The council moved on to routine business after the public-comment period; staff said they would publish accurate project information when available.
