For decades, Columbia has cycled through committees, consultants, contracts and more in attempts to reduce homelessness downtown.
And in all that time, the conversation has remained pretty much the same: City power brokers say people living on the streets is bad for downtown business and hurts economic growth, but downtown is also where shelters, meal-sharing programs and other assistance for homeless individuals are located.
To further complicate things, there are dozens of groups trying to provide meals, clothes, transportation help, medical care, connections to housing vouchers, and a list of other services, but they are spread out and not always well-known…