Bolton: Moving Transitions wouldn’t solve downtown homelessness issue in downtown Columbia, SC
“In downtown urban settings, you have to provide service for all who live in the area, and homeless people do live in the urban area. … We are a community together, and we have to help each other.”
— Fred Martin, Mast General’s vice president of operations
WHEN FRED Martin made the above comments in 2011 after Transitions homeless center opened downtown, it seemed to signal a turning point in how Columbians viewed serving the homeless in the core of the city.
For so long, the presence of homeless citizens and shelters had been seen as a detriment to downtown. Every attempt to open or relocate a shelter in the city had been met with strong opposition from businesses and nearby residents. Given that Mast General had moved to Main Street and was seen as a pace-setter, I thought opposition to serving the homeless downtown would soften a bit.
But news that there have been under-the-radar talks about moving Transitions from its home at the corner of Main Street and Elmwood Avenue suggests that not everyone has embraced having the homeless service center downtown. There are some who resent that the center is located at what is considered a gateway to the city from I-126 and S.C. 277.
In recent years, there has been increased talk that homelessness creates a drag on the downtown business climate. The concern led to what some interpreted as an effort to oust the homeless from downtown by any means necessary. But City Council pulled back and opened a 24/7 shelter near the river to provide services to help those in need turn their lives around.
Ultimately, the council decided to shut down the city shelter. It would later hire the United Way to serve as regional homeless coordinator. That would be the same United Way that is chief backer of Transitions.
When Transitions opened, its supporters made it clear that they chose a downtown location in large part because that’s where many services the homeless need are located and because the homeless congregate in the city core. Why open a service center in an area distant from those who would be served?
Given that, it’s unclear how Transitions and the United Way will officially respond to any sincere effort to move the center, particularly if it’s outside the city.
Transitions, which receives about $250,000 yearly from City Council, is the Midlands’ largest 24-hour center for homeless adults. It serves a multitude of clients who come in during the day as well as 260 who have reserved beds.
Out of town?
A recent story by State staff writer Clif LeBlanc revealed that Mayor Steve Benjamin had discussed the prospect of moving Transitions with several people and identified the top destination as the Cedar Terrace shopping center across from the VA hospital, along Garners Ferry Road.
Some of those interviewed for Mr. LeBlanc’s story said that among other sites under consideration are the former Cadillac dealership location just north of Elmwood along Main and one along Garners Ferry Road beyond I-77, near Atlas Road.
According to the story, the mayor has denied that there is a plan to move the homeless service center to the Cedar Terrace shopping center. But it appears that quite a few people have been talking about the possibility.
While it’s evident that discussions about moving Transitions are real, it’s not clear how serious the talk is.
But it’s obvious that there are those who want to see it happen, and not just to get the homeless out of downtown, although that would be the main objective.
Apparently, there’s a desire to use Transitions’ current site to develop an arts village. For sure, the arts add to the quality of life of any city. And I’m sure visitors would be impressed if they were greeted by an arts complex when they entered Columbia’s gateway. (Whatever happened with developing an arts village/corridor around The Township, by the way?)
But isn’t it equally, if not more, impressive that a gateway is dedicated to serving the homeless? Why doesn’t anyone think that visitors would be impressed by the compassion, commitment and caring a city shows the least of these? Wouldn’t people find it appealing that a city has a big heart?
Not in my downtown
Of course, Columbia officials have never wanted Transitions — or any type of homeless shelter — downtown.
Transitions ended up there because advocates, community leaders and others came together and raised the money, including a $5 million Knight Foundation grant, to build the $15 million facility. Instead of trying to get the city’s help to find a location, they bought the old Salvation Army site that didn’t require official approval. City officials, who had opposed The Salvation Army’s use of the site, were miffed and appeared to want little to do with Transitions. They later would come around and help fund it.
But while the city helps fund Transitions, the thought of Columbia taking an active role in finding a new home for the center is interesting, to say the least. It always has been interesting when Columbia officials talk about finding a site for a shelter. Time and time again, city officials — City Council in particular — have either fought or bungled attempts to locate shelters in downtown.
On one occasion, the city purchased a site on Bull Street for the expressed purpose of swapping it for the Oliver Gospel Mission’s Taylor Street home. After some community complaints, the city reneged, despite having spent taxpayer money for the site. In another instance, Columbia and Lexington and Richland counties sanctioned a communitywide homelessness blueprint developed under the guidance of the United Way and gave a panel the go ahead to choose a site for a comprehensive shelter. When that panel had done its job and identified a location, neighbors complained and — you guessed it — Columbia’s council torpedoed the entire effort.
But what if the city is truly committed this time, you ask?
Not a fix
The question then would be how effective moving Transitions would be in solving homelessness problems downtown.
The Oliver Gospel Mission isn’t going anywhere — unless there are discussions about moving it as well.
And let’s be real. Move the shelter if you will, but many homeless people won’t follow it, and a number of those who do will find their way back downtown at their convenience. Why? Because that’s where they’re comfortable. That’s where they interact with other people. That’s where the main library is. That’s where Finlay Park is. That’s where services some depend on are.
I constantly grimace at what comes across as this “out of sight, out of mind” approach to homelessness. You know, the thought that if you remove them from the center city, people won’t know they’re there. Hide the problem.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that there are some real challenges in dealing with homelessness. Businesses and residents do have legitimate concerns that need to be addressed.
But anyone who believes that moving Transitions out of downtown would magically resolve those problems is wrong. Dead wrong.
Reach Mr. Bolton at (803) 771-8631 or wbolton@thestate.com.
This story was originally published February 19, 2015 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Bolton: Moving Transitions wouldn’t solve downtown homelessness issue in downtown Columbia, SC ."