Seventy businesses and organizations in downtown Columbia have co-signed a letter with The District, asking the Columbia City Council to address Columbia's "urban camping" problem.
"We respectfully request that the City of Columbia begin developing a clear, publicly accessible, and enforceable urban camping ordinance for our community," the letter said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development describes urban camping as groups of people living in tents or other temporary structures in public places. The term has become a stand-in for homelessness in larger metropolitan areas.
But the letter from the district says its request is not about "criminalizing homelessness."
Instead, the district said it wants clear city regulations on urban camps to address issues like obstruction of sidewalks, encampments on public spaces and sanitation issues.
"Currently, existing ordinances appear fragmented, broad, and difficult to locate or interpret," the letter said.
The district said the ordinance it's asking for is especially important for its new downtown safety ambassador team.
The district's safety ambassador team, which launched last month, patrols downtown Columbia Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The program is in collaboration with the city and the University of Missouri.
"Clear ordinances will help ensure transparency, consistency, and the long-term success of this partnership," the letter said.
Along with introducing an urban camping ordinance, the district is asking the city to pair it with outreach and diversion measures such as warnings, shelter referrals, mental health assistance, substance use outreach and coordination with other service providers.
