Homelessness is a problem in Columbus just as it is in many places, but The Republic has reported this year that the problem appears to be getting much worse.
So it’s encouraging that members of the Columbus City Council and others are convening an event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Donner Center that will be open to everyone: “Navigating Homelessness Together: A Community Conversation”.
If you have thoughts about homelessness and how our community can respond, they will be welcomed on Thursday. Likewise, if you just want to listen and learn, you’ll be welcomed too.
As The Republic’s Jana Wiersema reported, council members Grace Kestler, Elaine Hilber and Frank Miller are expected to attend the forum. Kestler said the focus really will be on panel members who are experts on homelessness and low-income issues in a conversation moderated by Lena Blackstock of Process/Practice Studio in Columbus.
“And in that discussion, there won’t necessarily be a formal presentation by the council members or anything like that. We really want to utilize the time to hear what’s happening in our community and how we can continue to collaborate and work forward,” Kestler told Wiersema.
But voices from the community also are vital, and this is a forum where public participation will be important. Members of the community surely have input that can help address an issue that, frankly, we haven’t talked about enough.
Members of the council and panelists for the upcoming event are to be commended for pushing this conversation forward in search of solutions, and we encourage anyone interested in helping address homelessness to attend.
Further, this is a timely talk because winter is right around the corner. The Republic’s Andy East reported earlier this year that Kelly Daugherty, executive director at Love Chapel, which operates the Brighter Days emergency shelter, said the increase in overall demand from last December to last February led to the second-busiest winter at the shelter since it was founded in 2016.
An average of 30 people a night relied on the shelter, which has just 28 beds for men.
One possible solution to consider is something the community currently lacks — permanent supportive housing. As East wrote, permanent supportive housing “seeks to provide housing and supportive services on a more long-term basis to people who are experiencing chronic homelessness, according to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. The services can include, among other things, connecting people with community-based health care and treatment services.”
Those last two are critical for homeless people. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, people living in shelters are twice as likely to have a disability compared with the general population. The Alliance says that in 2022, 21% of homeless people reported a serious mental illness and 16% had conditions related to chronic substance abuse.
So while this is a community issue, it also is an individual one. There is no singular answer, but talking about what we can do as a community is a first step toward finding answers that can be meaningful, positive and productive.
