Frozen and Forgotten: An Unhoused Winter in Bloomington-Normal
WGLT's multimedia project ‒ including WGLT’s first-ever video documentary ‒ chronicling what it’s like to be unhoused in Bloomington-Normal during the cold winter months. Debuts in February 2025. Produced by WGLT's Melissa Ellin and Emily Bollinger.
Questions about this project? Contact news@wglt.org.
Questions about this project? Contact news@wglt.org.
Join us in person at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 for the debut screening of the 30-minute video documentary Frozen and Forgotten: An Unhoused Winter in Bloomington-Normal, followed by a panel discussion with some of the organizations and unhoused people featured in the documentary.
This event will be held at the Bloomington Public Library, 205 E. Olive St., in Community Room 2.
If you need a special accommodation to fully participate, please contact WGLT at (309) 438-2255 or wglt@ilstu.edu. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
This event will be held at the Bloomington Public Library, 205 E. Olive St., in Community Room 2.
If you need a special accommodation to fully participate, please contact WGLT at (309) 438-2255 or wglt@ilstu.edu. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
Listen to the audio series starting Feb. 17 on WGLT’s newsmagazine Sound Ideas, airing at 5 p.m. each day. Listen on 89.1 FM or stream on WGLT.org or the NPR App. Companion written stories will be published each day on WGLT.org.
Recent stories about homelessness
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When Daniel Kern officially founded the nonprofit Kernovate in 2025, he hoped to solve three problems: diverting mattresses from landfills, giving beds to those in need and providing work opportunities. -
Agencies that provide homeless services in Bloomington-Normal are sounding an alarm over changing federal guidelines that may reduce funding for those programs. -
Bloomington-Normal saw a drop in its homeless population in early 2026, while regional data indicates an increase. Advocates attribute that to more robust reporting and more counties participating. -
In his first State of the City speech, Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said the city has accomplished a lot in his first year in office. -
Leaders of Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington and Hope on 5th in Lincoln shared stories about housing shelters during Tuesday's Women to Women Spring Forum at the Bloomington Public Library. -
When the donation goes through, Home Sweet Home will own properties that serve the unhoused population on three adjacent blocks south of Downtown Bloomington. -
Shelter villages offer temporary and private places for the unhoused to sleep and store belongings. One of the newest, The Bridge, opened recently in central Illinois. -
The annual campaign fell close to $180,000 short of its target and left the social service agency pondering whether it will need to reduce services at the Safe Harbor shelter unless additional funding comes in. -
After four nights of operation, The Bridge has 48 residents, leaving eight beds still available. -
A 48-cabin shelter village was dedicated Tuesday during a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. -
Home Sweet Home's non-congregate shelter village, The Bridge, aims to be a more accessible path from homelessness to stable housing. Here's how it'll work. -
This year's goal of $1 million is 51% more than last year's, which ended up being surpassed by more than $20,000. Salvation Army Major Dan Leisher said the organization has experienced some losses in funding, while also seeing an increase in need.
