A Columbia organization that assists residents who struggle to provide for their basic needs says they’re always looking at wages and the price of rent.
Longtime Love Columbia executive director Jane Williams spoke Saturday on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable.” He tells host Fred Parry that some people are spending 50 percent of their income on rent:
“And how difficult it is even if you’ve got a $15 an hour minimum wage job, for the rent in Columbia you may have to work well over 40 hours a week just to make ends meet,” Williams says.
She says the group aims to move people out of poverty and into stability. She also says Love Columbia has prevented 314 evictions in 2026.
The founder of Love Columbia says housing, transportation and child care are three big barriers to breaking out of poverty.
“We did a survey a couple years ago of people that were unemployed and they were coming to us for help and 76 percent of them said they didn’t have a car,” Williams says.
Love Columbia now has a Columbia Car Care Ministries, which is headed by Howdy Matheny, who also spoke on Saturday’s show. They plan a September 12 car show at the Crossing church, which is free for the public. About 100 vehicles will be there.