Starting next Wednesday, the city of Columbia will open the Wabash Bus Station as a daytime warming center.
City spokesperson Sydney Olsen said the station will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, regardless of temperature. Olsen said these hours are set to fill a gap in the hours the Turning Point shelter is open.
The change comes after an hour of public comment decrying the city's homelessness response, or perceived lack thereof, by advocates and concerned citizens at Monday's City Council meeting.
Wabash will also open from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. as an emergency overnight warming center when temperatures dip below 25 degrees, a 10-degree raise in the opening threshold also approved at Monday's meeting.
One concern raised by city staff in opening Wabash more frequently was keeping the space clean and safe. In response, the city has procured a contract through Columbia-based private security company Citadel Security to watch and secure the space whenever it is open.
Previously, the station was provided security by a Columbia Police Department officer. Columbia police spokesperson Jeff Pitts said the city sought out private security to allow those officers to remain available to answer calls and provide service when the center is open.
The city will open Wabash this Friday and Saturday in anticipation of temperatures below 25 degrees. Daytime warming centers, such as the Activity & Recreation Center, will remain open during their regular operating hours regardless of temperature.
Olsen said the city is still looking for a larger, more permanent space to serve as an overnight shelter for Columbia's unhoused population. Wabash, which has frequently exceeded its 13-person limit this season, will be the primary emergency warming center for the rest of the winter.
"At this time the city does not have a final location," Olsen wrote in an email. "But staff will continue to work toward providing an alternative facility for next winter."
