During the council’s scheduled public comments Sept. 15, Emily Gose described a recurring “lease gap” problem in Columbia that left her temporarily homeless this summer and urged council action on tenant protections and affordable housing.

Gose said she has rented in Columbia for nearly five years and that “every summer, it's the same story. My lease ends mid July, and my next one doesn't begin until August.” She described a period this year when her lease ended July 15 and her new place opened Aug. 6, forcing her to rely on friends and a week of homelessness.

“I found a friend to live with so I could continue working and still wound up with a week of homelessness,” Gose said. She also described rent burdens and unsafe unit conditions among lower‑cost options, and said she has been charged a full month’s rent for only two weeks of residence and hit with a $300 repair bill for issues she said were previously reported.

Gose asked councilmembers to pursue “protections against unfair fees, more affordable and safe housing, and solutions to close these lease gaps that leave hundreds of people homeless between the months of July and August every year.” She said the problem affects students, service workers and young professionals and urged the city to act to make Columbia more stable and welcoming.

Council did not take specific action at the meeting; the public comment was part of the evening’s scheduled remarks and was entered into the record.