“At night time I'll go for a walk and they're everywhere. I'm talking everywhere. Beside the church, all up and down Locust Street, in the alleyways,” Swartz said. “You gotta be scared. You gotta be scared to walk the streets.”
Swartz was one of about 60 people who attended a meeting on homelessness at Columbia Borough Hall last Monday, November 6. About 15 attendees spoke at the meeting, most in favor of helping the homeless. The meeting also included a panel of borough officials, some of whom have not visited the shelter.
Swartz’s comments were increasingly aimed at the Columbia Presbyterian Church at 4th and Locust, which currently houses a shelter, the location of which he opposes. The underlying message seemed to be that the homeless are hurting downtown business, although none of the other merchants present spoke to confirm that.
Swartz said he is helping the homeless behind the scenes but claims they have “an attraction to the church.” He questioned what goes on there, but admitted he refuses to tour the facility.
Dreisbach: “The one thing that is super important in battling homelessness in this county is collaboration..."
Harris: “We can't end the problem by ignoring it or by shipping people out."
Powers: "We need a place to help people move through the system so they don’t get stuck, because when they get stuck, that's when the breakdowns happen."
Chris Dreisbach, CEO of Blueprints for Addiction Recovery, spoke in support of the shelter and its director, Pastor David Powers. Dreisbach stressed the importance of working together to find solutions to the homeless problem.
“The one thing that is super important in battling homelessness in this county is collaboration, is coming together, not fighting, not battling…“ Dreisbach said. “The problem in Columbia is real but is not nearly as bad as the problem in other areas.” He advocated supporting the people fighting for the homeless, citing Powers and the staff at Columbia Presbyterian. Dreisbach also suggested forming an interdisciplinary team of individuals from the police department, mayor’s office, borough manager, and borough council to help people move into a better life so they can contribute to the community.
Dreisbach shared his own story of being homeless and addicted to drugs 17 years ago, and said he's grateful for the people who gave him a second chance.
He urged the gathering to remember that the homeless are just people. “They are people,” he said. “They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our brothers. They are our sisters. Any squabble beyond that is pointless,” Dreisbach said, apparently referring to Swartz's comments.
“The one thing that is super important in battling homelessness in this county is collaboration, is coming together, not fighting, not battling…“ Dreisbach said. “The problem in Columbia is real but is not nearly as bad as the problem in other areas.” He advocated supporting the people fighting for the homeless, citing Powers and the staff at Columbia Presbyterian. Dreisbach also suggested forming an interdisciplinary team of individuals from the police department, mayor’s office, borough manager, and borough council to help people move into a better life so they can contribute to the community.
Dreisbach shared his own story of being homeless and addicted to drugs 17 years ago, and said he's grateful for the people who gave him a second chance.
He urged the gathering to remember that the homeless are just people. “They are people,” he said. “They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our brothers. They are our sisters. Any squabble beyond that is pointless,” Dreisbach said, apparently referring to Swartz's comments.
Pastor Mark Harris of Salem UCC Church said the homeless situation is worse than he has ever seen it but blamed the problem on economic factors. “The increase in the housing prices has caused it to be that the people who are in the homeless system aren’t able to move through it and into housing as easily as they have been in the past.”
Although Harris admitted that the location of the shelter along Locust Street is not ideal, he praised the team at Columbia Presbyterian, especially Pastor Powers, for being able to move people through homelessness and into housing and jobs. “I think that Reverend Powers is a leader in compassion in our community,” Harris said.
“We can't end the problem by ignoring it or by shipping people out,” Harris continued. “We can't do like DeSantis or Governor Abbott and ship everyone to Manheim Township,” Harris said, referring to how those two governors transported immigrants to other states. He said there are services in Columbia. “I consider it a welcoming town,” Harris said. “That is one of the reasons that I think homeless people end up here.”
Harris stressed that the solution is not to get rid of the shelter without an alternative. He said the community must find an alternative that's going to work on a more permanent basis and that could be in a more appropriate place. "All of us who are sitting in this room have a part in this,” Harris said.
Although Harris admitted that the location of the shelter along Locust Street is not ideal, he praised the team at Columbia Presbyterian, especially Pastor Powers, for being able to move people through homelessness and into housing and jobs. “I think that Reverend Powers is a leader in compassion in our community,” Harris said.
“We can't end the problem by ignoring it or by shipping people out,” Harris continued. “We can't do like DeSantis or Governor Abbott and ship everyone to Manheim Township,” Harris said, referring to how those two governors transported immigrants to other states. He said there are services in Columbia. “I consider it a welcoming town,” Harris said. “That is one of the reasons that I think homeless people end up here.”
Harris stressed that the solution is not to get rid of the shelter without an alternative. He said the community must find an alternative that's going to work on a more permanent basis and that could be in a more appropriate place. "All of us who are sitting in this room have a part in this,” Harris said.
Pastor Powers, who spoke near the end of the meeting, noted that in October of 2022, he had appeared at a borough council meeting and asked everyone to work together.
Powers said there are 18 homeless people at the Hands Across the Street Dream Center shelter at Columbia Presbyterian. (The shelter was previously located at 291 South 4th Street, until the owner leased it to another group.) ”We are packed to the gills,” Powers said. “It’s like a miniature ecosystem. We cannot expand any farther than we are.”
In answer to questions from the audience, Powers said the staff does background checks in a number of different ways, including the Unified Judicial System and Megan's Law. He also said the shelter is inspected by the Department of Agriculture at least once year, and the building gets safety inspected. An exterminator comes four times a year.
Currently, Powers is hoping for a location with 40 beds. “I pray to god that the property becomes available before someone decides that we need to go,” he said. “We need a place to help people move through the system so they don’t get stuck, because when they get stuck, that's when the breakdowns happen."
Powers said there are 18 homeless people at the Hands Across the Street Dream Center shelter at Columbia Presbyterian. (The shelter was previously located at 291 South 4th Street, until the owner leased it to another group.) ”We are packed to the gills,” Powers said. “It’s like a miniature ecosystem. We cannot expand any farther than we are.”
In answer to questions from the audience, Powers said the staff does background checks in a number of different ways, including the Unified Judicial System and Megan's Law. He also said the shelter is inspected by the Department of Agriculture at least once year, and the building gets safety inspected. An exterminator comes four times a year.
Currently, Powers is hoping for a location with 40 beds. “I pray to god that the property becomes available before someone decides that we need to go,” he said. “We need a place to help people move through the system so they don’t get stuck, because when they get stuck, that's when the breakdowns happen."
In October 2022, Columbia Spy conducted a series of interviews with shelter residents:
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