In September 2022, Columbus cleared a homeless camp called Camp Shameless on the Near East Side despite small protests on the front lawns of city officials’ homes, including that of City Council President Shannon Hardin.
Hardin acknowledged to The Dispatch that the camp removal was traumatic for the homeless residents, many of whom were moved into motels. He said it was a tough moment for a council that cares about the dignity of all people and getting people housed.
Now, Hardin says Columbus City Council is responding to residents’ advocacy by supporting the construction of permanent supportive housing for people struggling with homelessness. The housing will be located on the former location of Camp Shameless at 897 E. Mound St.
“This legislation is a big deal,” Hardin said. “We as a city are meeting the ask of the advocates and we are working to fill a growing gap … I am so proud of this project and we have to do more like this.”
Back in 2022, advocates with First Collective, the operator of Camp Shameless, called on the city to put housing on the empty lot owned at the time by the Columbus Land Bank, according to Hardin. Some told The Dispatch at the time they’d like to see tiny homes built.
On Monday, the Columbus City Council unanimously approved using federal dollars to allocate $2.75 million toward the construction of 110 one bedroom, one bathroom apartments at two permanent supportive housing projects: a 50-apartment project called Knoll View Place at the former Camp Shameless location on Mound Street, and a 60-apartment project called Scioto Rise Place at 42 W. Jenkins Ave. Both will be three-story buildings.
Residents making between nothing and 30% of the area median income will be able to access the apartments. The majority of the apartments will go to people who were formerly unhoused and the rest will go to individuals who struggle with severe mental illness and are at risk of becoming homeless or institutionalized.
The money comes from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program funded by the American Rescue Plan called HOME-ARP.
At a future meeting, the council will vote on spending about $1 million more of HOME-ARP funding for four years of supportive services for residents at these two locations. Community Housing Network is building these two projects and will provide the services, including crisis intervention, conflict resolution, daily assistance and referrals to other agencies for other needs like medical and dental help.
Ryan Castle, chief real estate development officer with Community Housing Network, said CHN starts with housing because it meets a basic need, and then people can begin addressing other issues in their lives that make stability challenging.
Castle said Knoll View Place will cost about $16.9 million in total to build and Scioto Rise Place will cost about $19.3 million. CHN will get the rest of the funding from other sources, including federal tax credits.
Advocates with First Collective did not respond to The Dispatch’s request for comment Monday.
About 20 people lived at Camp Shameless for about six months in 2022. First Collective volunteers aided the residents. The city decided to clear the camp after First Collective began building a wooden structure cemented into the ground on the property.
In other action Monday, Council voted to allocate about $100,000 of HUD dollars to support the construction of a single-family home on Eureka Avenue in the Hilltop to be sold to a first-time buyer earning 80% or less of the area median income.
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Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Supportive housing planned at former homeless camp site in Columbus
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