The homeless encampment outside a Bloomington homeless shelter is no more. The tent dwellers have scattered since police ordered them to move after officers received complaints.
Some who had set up along Constitution Trail left town. Others occasionally drop by the shelter for services. The whereabouts of a few others are unknown.
Matt Burgess, chief executive officer for the Home Sweet Home Ministries shelter, said those who left are likely either couch surfing or back on the streets. Burgess said the shelter has been running at or near capacity and several previously had difficulties living in a group setting.
Burgess said Bloomington-Normal's homeless issue has not gone away, due in part to a shortage of affordable housing, and could in fact become more challenging with a reduction in available beds next winter.
“I think we are not doing enough, quite frankly (to help the homeless),” Burgess said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
Burgess said part of the problem is misguided stereotypes people have about the unhoused.
“The first thing that I always want to remind people is to view folks who are unsheltered as people, fellow community members, neighbors of ours who are in a fairly desperation situation a lot of the time,” Burgess said. “A vast majority of people who we encounter are very peaceful, are really just trying to get back to a place of stability and don’t pose a danger to anyone.”
Burgess said even if someone unhoused has suffered a relapse and appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, that doesn’t make them violent.
Winter housing
Burgess said homeless shelter managers in Bloomington think they have found a long-term solution to a projected shortage of emergency beds during the winter. The Salvation Army Safe Harbor shelter in Bloomington will have about 50 fewer emergency beds next winter because the city said it was sheltering too many and creating a safety risk.
Burgess said Home Sweet Home, the Salvation Army and other agencies have been in talks with Eastview Christian Church to convert the former YMCA building into a makeshift shelter of up to 50 beds. But Burgess said that won't be ready by this winter.
“It is going to be cold in six months and that’s not much lead time for us to identify a place, get staffing figured out and make sure it is suitable for an emergency winter shelter,” Burgess said.
Eastview bought the former YMCAlast year to open a community center. Burgess said if Home Sweet Home and the Salvation Army can’t find a short-term solution, they may ask the city to grant some type of waiver to return to its previous number of beds.
“We are trying to figure those things out right now,” Burgess said.
Migrants
On another topic, Burgess said the community has seen a “handful” of migrants from Chicago among the thousands who were bused to that city from the U.S. southern border.
Burgess said newcomers add to what is an already strained housing market.
“It’s the same thing that we see for people who are already here. Oftentimes they sleep doubled up, they stay in what we call couch surfing or in overcrowded conditions.” Burgess said. “Sometimes people can find housing, although that is a very rare dynamic right now.”
Burgess said several migrants have contacted the shelter, but none have stayed there.
