With a forthcoming election, First Ward City Council candidates met Saturday at Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church, where they answered residents’ questions and signed a pledge created by the North Central, West Ash and Ridgeway neighborhood associations.
All three candidates were present. On the stage were longtime Columbia resident Mark Anderson, Historic Preservation Commission Chairperson Pat Fowler and MU freshman Greg Pierson. Here are some of the questions asked and some of what the candidates had to say about them:
What do you plan to do for low-income families that want to be homeowners?
Anderson said that he thinks the key to affordable housing is to find something to do with all the empty lots in Columbia and to protect what the city already has in terms of affordable housing.
Fowler said that she thinks the solution is to focus on the homes that already exist in Columbia instead of building new homes.
Pierson echoed what the other two candidates said and added that he wants to expand the Columbia Community Land Trust and address homelessness in Columbia; he said this will provide a more well-rounded approach to affordable housing.
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