The Ohio Union Cartoon Room where the Community Roundtable event was held, shortly after it finished. The room was filled to capacity with property managers, university stakeholders and outreach clinicians during the event. Credit: Nicole DeFabio | Lantern Reporter
Tension filled the Ohio Union’s Cartoon Room Wednesday afternoon, as the topic of unhoused individuals sparked debate during the monthly Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement’s Community Roundtable event.
University District community members — including property owners and managers — gathered to “engage in a facilitated panel conversation around navigating and supporting the houseless community,” according to the event’s email invite. Though Community Roundtable events are hosted by OCCSE each month, November’s meeting specifically aimed to address issues involving unhoused individuals in the University Area.
Emerald Hernández-Parra, assistant director for the City of Columbus, moderated the discussion between attendees and panelists, including community liaisons, outreach clinicians for the University District Organization and representatives from the Community Shelter Board.
“Homelessness is something that we will always have to address as a nation, as a planet,” Hernández-Parra said. “Homelessness is not something that just goes away. It is something that we have to, as a community, wrap around and lift from the bottom up; it’s not something we can grab top down.”
Opinions among attendees remained divided on the unhoused population’s activity in the area. Some believed the issue to be a long-term development requiring thoughtful solutions, while others questioned local law enforcement’s role in addressing the situation.
“When are you going to send a trash truck?” asked Katrina Castergine, a property owner in the Iuka and Waldeck areas. “There’s trash every time you go under [the Iuka Ravine Bridge]; now, there’s human feces.”
Marcus Johnson, a featured panelist and the City of Columbus’ homeless advocacy liaison, said he was aware of trash-related concerns but unaware of any complaints regarding feces. He subsequently assured attendees the situation was being addressed.
“We consistently monitor the [Iuka and Waldeck area],” Johnson said in response to Castergine. “In this case, we are aware of it. We do have a plan in place. But then we also ask for grace from community members like yourself because in the game, we have to remember that we are dealing with people, and to take and compassion is always going to drive every action that I take.”
Catherine Burger, property manager with Wilson Place, asked what students can do to report unhoused individuals engaging in unsafe or disruptive behaviors. Beyond reporting, she also wanted to know how these individuals can be connected to helpful resources.
James Lewis, a social worker with the University District Organization, said he recommends students call the Columbus Division of Police if they see something “they feel is a danger.”
“Or, if it’s something like, ‘I’ve noticed someone’s been on my doorstep,’ they can call either myself at 614-937-0221, and I’ll try to be there within a day or two,” Lewis said. “Or, Street Stewards are excellent resources for just getting someone to move along.”
Street Stewards are volunteers who “adopt” a neighborhood block or engage in community clean-ups to keep areas safe, according to the organization’s website.
Burger said she understands her student tenants’ concerns in regard to unhoused individuals who might seem dangerous, and she urges them to keep a healthy distance while still treating such individuals with empathy.
“I definitely encourage my [tenants] personally to practice safety, and if they feel threatened, to just walk away from the situation,” Burger said. “But, you know, I also tell them, ‘You don’t have anything to fear.’”
Other topics of discussion included perspectives on why unhoused people might not want to live in traditional shelters, how stakeholders in the community can support housing initiatives and examinations on what demographics are most at-risk for homelessness in Franklin County.
“The number of people of color experiencing homelessness compared to the white counterparts in the shelter, it’s over double what the Franklin County population is of who comes into shelter,” said panelist Steve Skovensky, chief programs officer for the Community Shelter Board. “Then, we’re seeing seniors increase every quarter; 62-and-up will be a huge group as we continue to go forward, and single moms as well.”
Skovensky ended the panel discussion by encouraging those gathered to support local and affordable housing initiatives.
“I want to end with a call to action for everyone to follow the affordable housing work that the city is doing,” Skovensky said. “Encourage affordable housing conversations. Columbus is leading the country in rising rents and lowering vacancy, and homelessness is a housing problem, pure and simple. If we had housing, we would not have homelessness, so we need to support the city’s plans.”
This article was updated Nov. 22 at 8:27 p.m. to correct the link for the Street Stewards website and to correct the identity of the source James Lewis.
