Serving Homeless and Homeowners 💜

Serving Homeless and Homeowners

Relief for Unhoused

In 2022, we provided temporary/transitional housing to 156 households, 95 of which included children, and assisted 387 households to secure permanent housing, 196 of which included children.

[Left] LaTrisha rings the Joy Bell with Samuel Baumer, Path Forward Advisor, to celebrate obtaining permanent housing! With our support, she overcame many barriers including: no ID, phone, or transportation; stolen benefits card; unresolved legal issues; and complications with the leasing process.

[Right] Volunteer Melissa Webel helps a couple pack up their hotel room where they had stayed for 2 years and move into their new home.

Project Homeless Connect

Love Columbia participated with 18 other agencies at Columbia's bi-annual event to ensure Columbia's literally homeless population had the opportunity to learn about available services. Pictured is Conrad Hake, Program Director, and Sophia Redelfs, Housing Specialist, helping an unhoused individual identify next steps.

Collaboration to Promote Housing

Local builders, landlords, government leaders, and others gathered to discuss policy changes that could promote building affordable housing and redevelopment of vacant properties.

Those in attendance include: Orie Hemme, Adrienne Stolwyk, Jennifer Toohey, Mike Martin, Conrad Hake, Sophia Redelfs, Kelli Van Doren, Rob Wolverton, Diane Suhler, Joanne Nelson, D'Andre Thompson, Randy Cole, David Morton, Nick Foster, Jane Williams, and Gary Ward

To learn more about this and how to join our affordable housing coalition, click here.

Eviction Prevention

Love Columbia SAFHR team: Kelli Van Doren, Toni D, Jocelyn Wolfe, Shannon Anderson,

Valerie Garrett, William Lautenschlager, Conrad Hake, Melissa Watson, Lori Acton, Isaac Lage

In June 2021, we started connecting people unable to pay rent to the SAFHR program. We have since submitted 1,310 applications to ensure our Columbia neighbors stay housed. In total, we helped bring over $3.5 million in rent assistance to Columbia landlords.

The SAFHR rent assistance program officially ended on January 31, following an announcement from Missouri Housing Development Commission that they had run out of funds. Pandemic safety net funding has come to an end, yet the effects of the pandemic are far from over.

SAFHR Prevents Homelessness

for Jason

When Jason's son passed away, it became difficult to keep focused on daily life. Receiving rent assistance through SAFHR provided him the opportunity to catch up on bills while recovering from Covid and finding a better job to get back on his feet. He says, "It gave me peace of mind. Truth is, without it I would have most likely ended up homeless."

Consider giving to Love Columbia’s strategic financial assistance fund or volunteering to assist one of our coaching or practical services programs. Every dollar and hour of time you invest can change someone's life trajectory.

Homeownership Hope

An Upward Mobility data report states, "Only 3% of homeowners in Boone County are black."

At the time we heard this, Columbia had no agency approved by HUD to teach homebuyer classes necessary for down payment assistance. Our response: we obtained HUD approval with five staff members certified as housing counselors.

On January 28th, we offered our first homebuyer class! Thirteen people attended, and many expressed excitement about becoming a home owner. One said, "I was so excited after the workshop, I was floating to my car!"

Another person said, "This gave me the confidence that I could buy a house later this year."

The homebuyer class will be offered the 3rd Saturday of every other month:

March 18th

May 20th

July 15th

September 16th

November 18th

Anyone interested in the class can email homebuyer@lovecolumbia.org to sign up.

Workshop planning team: Sherry Wyss,

Kelli Van Doren, Conrad Hake, Jacob Garrett, Jordan Barnes, Nick Williams,

Valerie Ninichuck, Ashley Switzer

Love Columbia is also assisting homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments by connecting them with the SAFHR Mortgage program which, thankfully, is still funded.

So far, we have helped 8 homeowners apply for assistance to pay mortgage arrears. For information on SAFHR mortgage assistance, email: safhr@lovecolumbia.org

Veterans United Foundation donated cooking kits for our Healthy Homes and Tables program.

Families who receive the kits will get a fun activity for kids to cook and learn new skills in the kitchen!

Cars Needed: Reliable Transportation Promotes Housing Stability

Loss of transportation is often the tipping point toward loss of housing. If you can't get to work, you can't pay rent.

Email cars@lovecolumbia.org for information on selling or donating a car to a Love Columbia client.

When you donate to or shop at The Love Seat,

you are helping your neighbors in need! In 2022:

181 households received furniture

111 households received housewares

210 households received store shopping vouchers

25 households received moving assistance

The Love Seat resale store provides a place for shoppers to find quality,

low-cost furniture, housewares and clothing and for Love Columbia program participants to obtain essential items.

The Love Seat Furniture Bank provides free furniture and housewares to families

in crisis or transition.

Store Hours:

Mon - Fri 10:00 - 5:00

Sat 9:00 - 4:00

Donation Times:

Mon - Sat 10:00 - 3:00

For Donation Inquiries/Scheduling Pick-Ups:

Call 573-303-6198

2600 Rangeline St. Columbia, MO 65202

Learn About The Love Seat

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

This is the ideal that drives Love Columbia. We coordinate relationships and resources to “love people forward” to a higher capacity. We provide coaching to help people improve their finances, employment, and housing, and offer strategic financial assistance and material goods to support their path forward.

• Information and referral

• Assessment and action planning

• Coaching (financial, employment, housing, transportation, life purpose)

• Transitional housing

• Payday loan relief

• Strategic financial assistance

• Basic needs (furniture, clothing & housewares)

Want to Give to Love Columbia?