The Blueprint to Address Homelessness in the Midlands is the result of an 11- month process of community involvement, and research into feasible strategies for reducing homelessness in our region. The Blueprint process was initiated in the fall of 2004 when Mayor Bob Coble responded to an increased visibility of downtown homelessness, a three-year struggle to provide emergency winter shelter to street people and the failure of a recent effort to locate a permanent site for a homeless services center, by calling for a summit of community leaders to address chronic homelessness.

A large meeting, effectively launching the blueprint process, was held on November 22, 2004. Fifty-four participants, including service providers, public officials and community leaders, assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the community with regard to homeless issues and services.

The Blueprint team reviewed 10-year plans for ending homelessness from dozens of communities and researched best practice programs from across the country to inform the planning process.

In July, the original group of providers and community leaders was reconvened. After reviewing each of the ten draft strategies in some detail, the group unanimously endorsed them and the direction of the plan.

The community was engaged to participate through a variety of processes including:

• public forums in Richland and Lexington counties and the City of Columbia
• discussion groups with homeless individuals and families
• presentations and discussion at meetings of the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods, Richland County Neighborhood Association, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, the City Center Partnership, The United Way of the Midlands, Senior leadership at the University of South Carolina and the Midlands Business Leadership Group
• individual meetings with business stakeholders, service and housing providers.

The strategies were published on the United Way website along with an opportunity for public comment.

A Homelessness Summit to endorse the Blueprint was held in September of 2005 to gather support from Richland County, Lexington County, and the City of Columbia.

Key Players in Blueprint Development

The following individuals were instrumental in the development of the Blueprint:

• Morris J. Blachman, PhD
  Clinical Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Anita Floyd
  Vice President of Community Impact
  United Way of the Midlands
• Jennifer Moore
  Director of Food, Shelter, Safety, and Transportation Council
  United Way of the Midlands
• Dana Davis Turner, Esq.
  Office of the Assistant City Manager for Commerce and Development
  City of Columbia
• City of Columbia Community Development Department
• City of Columbia’s Office of the Mayor
• Richland County Administrator's Office
• Central Carolina Community Foundation