City, Neighborhoods Spar Over How to Feed Homeless

A downtown Columbia church that recently stopped serving free daily meals to about 150 homeless people has sparked conversation about how to deal with the city's homeless population, according to a report in The State. 

Ebenezer Lutheran Church at 1301 Richland Street served its last meals Sunday, according to the report, when an agreement between the Salvation Army and the church ended. 

City council considered offering the meals at the city's winter shelter, but later killed that idea, according to the report. They're planning to dicsuss the issue at their April 9 meeting. 

Some residents of neighborhoods in the area are concerned that offering meals to homeless people at the winter shelter would bring problems like public defecation and urination, panhandling and trespassing into the neighborhoods, according to the report. 

Another option would be to serve the meals at Transitions, a homeless shelter and program at Main Street and Elmwood Avenue, according to the report. But board members of the organization promised area neighborhoods when they opened that they wouldn't offer open-door meals.

Read more from The State.