Cape has homeless problem; leaders discuss reasons, ways to address it

Cape Girardeau has a homelessness problem, and while some resources are in place, more needs to be done, according to audience members and panelists at a community discussion Friday, held at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

A crisis shelter for people who need immediate housing was identified as one major need, as was greater collaboration among groups working to help the homeless.

Empower Missouri, a not-for-profit organization based in Jefferson City, called the meeting, said Tracy Morrow, health care organizer for Southeast Missouri.

Morrow said Empower Missouri is a multi-issue, nonpartisan social advocacy group concerned with �safety net� issues, such as food security and housing, and wanting to bring together agencies and community leaders to discuss the extent of the problem and a way forward.

Renita Green, pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church, said the emergency homeless shelter at her church wasn�t designed to meet all the needs of the homeless population of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.

The People�s Shelter was intended as a way for homeless people to get short-term shelter when temperatures were below freezing, Green said, not as a full fix for the region�s needs.

Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer said grant money to help homeless people has regulations attached, meaning grant recipients are limited in the help they can offer.

Calvin Garner, housing coordinator for the Community Caring Council, agreed, adding the problem of homelessness has many sources, meaning a solution must be multifaceted and multilayered.

Chad Hartle of Hartle Management Agency said resources for builders including him are shrinking, costs are rising and the need for affordable housing is growing.

Last year, Hartle said, the state of Missouri allowed funding for only 16 new developments.

�That doesn�t meet the need in Cape Girardeau, much less the state,� he said.

Generational poverty, mental health problems, drug addiction, rising housing costs and shrinking government funding all contribute, Garner said.

State Rep. Kathy Swan added education as a factor. A lack of formal education can hurt people�s chances to earn enough money for a stable housing situation, she said, and the community at large needs to understand Cape Girardeau does have a homelessness problem, what the factors are and what can be done about it.

That was the big question, asked by moderator Christy Mershon, who also has served as a volunteer at The People�s Shelter.

Green said the shelter at her church is a first step, not a solution, since they are limited on space and are dependent on volunteers to run the organization.

Betty Mosley, member of Authentic Voices, a group made up mostly of black south-side residents, expressed frustration she�s attended meetings like this one for 11 years and nothing�s been done.

Green called for greater collaboration among resource providers, be that churches or faith-based organizations, government agencies, committees or individuals, so people seeking help know what services are available and what needs to be done.

Said Calvin Garner, �the key is education.�

But action must follow education, he said.

To that end, Green said she will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at St. James A.M.E. Church, 516 North St. in Cape Girardeau, to discuss potential ways forward in the work to curb the homelessness problem in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

516 North St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.