JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Jefferson City Council’s rejection of rezoning for a permanent homeless shelter won’t stop a community group working on the project, according to a statement from Housing the Community Jefferson City. Housing the Community released the statement after the city council voted 6-3 Monday night to reject rezoning for a homeless
Continue Reading The Jefferson City Room at the Inn hopes to move forward with possible next steps towards expansion after Monday.
The Jefferson City Council is set to hold a public hearing Monday night about possibly rezoning a vacant building in the city to house a new resource center and emergency shelter.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri is calling out Columbia city leaders, after it says a request to discuss city ordinances — which it says targets unhoused people — remains unanswered. The request was first sent in a letter on July 16 and included support from local and state advocates including
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia is continuing its conversations around a homelessness and how to better support the unhoused community. On Thursday, a round table discussion by the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services brought together about 70 community members, homeless advocates and city officials. Sara Humm, the health department’s public health
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Columbia’s Opportunity Campus overnight shelter has been 85-90% full each night since its opening more than two weeks ago.
The 150-bed Waypoint Shelter opened on July 13. Shelter Director Jessica McNear said about 128 to 135 people experiencing hardship and homelessness have been staying each night.
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) EDITOR’S NOTE: The action taken by Planning and Zoning has been corrected. Housing for the Community Jefferson City announced in a Wednesday news release on its website that it is asking to postpone a hearing after the city’s planning commission voted against its application. HCJC wrote that the Planning and Zoning Commission
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Survey results presented by the City of Columbia on Tuesday showed homelessness and crime remain top concerns for residents. During a Tuesday work session to discuss the city’s strategic plan, officials went over responses it received from residents through several methods. The city included feedback from its Social Point website, which reportedly
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A day after Columbia’s new Opportunity Campus opened its overnight shelter, some residents are voicing renewed worries about what the facility could bring to their part of town.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Jefferson City’s Public Works and Planning Committee met on July 9 to discuss research on safety requirements for shelters, including those that house homeless individuals, and to create a draft of the ordinance. According to the Department of Planning and Protective Services’ memorandum, officials want to find out more about: Occupancy
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Editor’s note: This article has been adjusted to reflect the correct city council meeting date. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two local downtown business owners are putting their support behind a proposal for an urban camping ordinance for downtown Columbia. Executive Director of Columbia’s Downtown Community Improvement District Nickie Davis said the CID plans to submit a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Part of Columbia’s new Opportunity Campus will be open on Wednesday night due to extreme heat in the area. ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days are in effect through the weekend as the heat index looks to hit triple digits. New Day Columbia will operate the overnight cooling center at 1304 Bowling
Continue Reading A new $18.6 million facility built to support people experiencing hardship and homelessness is set to open its doors in Columbia in late July.
Construction on the Voluntary Action Center’s Opportunity Campus began in February 2024. Ahead of its opening, members of the public are invited to an open house Thursday to tour the resource center and shelter.
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This winter may be the last that the Jefferson City Room at the Inn operates at the First Baptist Church on Capitol Avenue.
JCRATI is an emergency, overnight homeless shelter that operates during the winter months.
But Housing the Community Jefferson City, JCRATI’s parent organization, could soon be housing the city’s homeless at a new headquarters.
After more than two years of searching for a larger location, the organization announced at a press conference Tuesday morning that it has signed an option-to-purchase agreement with the owner of 107 Adams St. and filed a zoning application for the building.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As construction continues on Columbia’s Opportunity Campus, community leaders are working to prepare both staff and the public ahead of the shelter’s opening this summer. The Voluntary Action Center is hosting a series of training sessions aimed at educating the community about homelessness. Thursday marked the third of six sessions and the
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Jefferson City Task Force is set to present its homelessness action plan to the city council Monday. In a 10-page report, the group outlines several key priorities, including expanding shelter access, increasing affordable housing, strengthening employment support, enhancing mental health and safety services, and raising public awareness. According to Missouri
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A local nonprofit that has supported individuals experiencing homelessness for more than a decade is preparing for a move this summer. Turning Point will relocate its operations in June to Opportunity Campus, marking a new chapter for the organization after spending the past 12 years operating out of Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist
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AUDRAIN COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ) With temperatures dropping to dangerous levels, Room at the Inn in Audrain County is extending its hours to make sure no one is left out in the cold. The shelter will now remain open during the day as extremely cold conditions are expected through Sunday. The shelter is open daily from
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri homeless organizations are preparing to see an increased need as extreme low temperatures are expected over the weekend. Maj. Nancy Powers, a Corps Officer with Columbia’s Salvation Army Harbor House, said Friday that the colder weather has already brought people to Harbor House with dangerous weather-related health problems. “By the time
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) This story was edited to indicate that the ordinance is not directed toward panhandling and to include anyone who is standing on applicable medians. An ordinance proposed by the City of Columbia that would restrict activity on busy medians and intersections could be up for a vote at the council’s next meeting
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia has suggested an ordinance that would make panhandling illegal at high-traffic intersections. “They’re calling it a pedestrian safety measure, but in reality it’s a getting the homeless out of the median ordinance,” said John Trapp, Executive Director for Columbia’s Room at the Inn. The ordinance would regulate the
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