Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther began his 2021 State of the City speech at 6 p.m. Wednesday, a few hours after the release of body camera footage of the latest killing of a Black man by law enforcement officers, including city police.
As protesters prepared to gather and march through Downtown to counter the facts as outlined by police namely that Miles Jackson was a wanted man who had a gun on him and fired at police when he was shot and killed inside Mount Carmel St. Ann s medical center Ginther reflected on a year rife with similar division and turmoil.
The annual point-in-time count of homeless people in Columbus and Franklin County emergency shelters showed an 18% decrease over the past year, which an official attributed to the eviction moratorium and enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of people in shelters the night of Jan. 27 was 1,201, down 265 from the 1,466 the year before, said Michelle Heritage, executive director of the Community Shelter Board.
That includes a decrease in the number of family members too, from 555 to 391. Family members include any adults and children under 18. We think this eviction moratorium has had a positive impact, Heritage said.
‘Devastating’: Daughter of man who died outside Columbus homeless shelter wants answers
Theresa Goins said her father was a ‘good man’ but he struggled with alcohol addiction. She did not know how to help him. Author: Lindsey Mills Updated: 6:18 PM EST March 1, 2021
Over a Zoom, Theresa Goins holds up the few photos she has of her dad. They are the only photos she has of Anthony Goins. We were coming from a wedding, she described holding one of the photos to the screen. “My mom did like her Tina Turner hair.
Credit: Theresa Goins
In that photo, Theresa was still a little girl. When she grew a little older, her mother separated from her father. She said the decision to do so was because he struggled with an addiction to alcohol.
Last year, 110 people died living on the streets according to Columbus Coalition for the Homeless. Author: Lindsey Mills Updated: 7:29 PM EST February 23, 2021
A man s body is found outside a Columbus shelter in freezing temperatures, late last week.
According to the police report, the man was identified as 71-year-old Anthony Goins. He died on the ground outside a hotel turned shelter located at 1100 Mediterranean Ave, Columbus.
His cause of death remains unclear.
Meanwhile, advocates for the homeless population say they think this incident points to a larger problem with housing and they are calling on lawmakers to do something about it.
With temperatures plunging, warming centers Downtown are busy
As overnight temperatures have plunged into single digits recently, a new approach has been helping homeless people stay warm Downtown.
In its first week of operation in mid-December, there were about 15 people taking advantage of warming centers operated by a collaboration between Downtown churches and Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Since then, about 100 regular visitors have received services at Trinity Episcopal Church, First Congregational Church, and Broad Street United Methodist Church, along with the Main Library Downtown. In total, there have been about 1,000 visits.
Each church is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. during weekdays on a rotating basis, with one church open one day and the others on other days. The center at the Main Library Downtown is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The spaces opened Dec.15.