WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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A low-barrier, emergency winter shelter is set to open tonight for people experiencing homelessness in Bloomington.
Reverend Forrest Gilmore, executive director of Beacon Inc., announced the opening of Beacon’s Winter Shelter in an interview with WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty on Monday.
“It was prompted by urgency,” said Gilmore.
The low-barrier shelter will open inside the Warehouse across from Switchyard Park on the south side of Bloomington. Gilmore talked about how he hopes to fill the demand of housing for community members experiencing homelessness.
“We have 49 beds inside and that’s the highest we can go to be in compliance with fire codes,” he said.
The new winter shelter opens after the City of Bloomington issued two evictions of people experiencing homelessness at Seminary Park – despite CDC guidelines on homeless encampments which make clear that encampments should be allowed to stay up, so long as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues.
The latest eviction by the city came one week before students returned to Indiana University for their second semester.
Last Thursday, members of the public were invited to express their concerns about Seminary Park during a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting.
Council member Jim Sims noted that the committee did not invite Mayor Hamilton to the meeting. Council member Isabel Piedmont Smith expressed disappointment – saying that she thought it was important that the mayor hear from the public.
WFHB Assistant News Director Sydney Foreman reported on that meeting earlier this week. WFHB Correspondent Alex Dederer read that report.
Public Outraged at City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting
The Bloomington City Council Public Safety Committee held a discussion on the unhoused population in Bloomington during their January 14th meeting. Community member Tassy Gniady spoke about Wheeler Mission.
Bloomington Homeless Coalition member Mark Teller stated Seminary Park residents have chosen to stay in the park. He said the location provides comfort.
City Resident Timothy Clark said the city’s homeless evictions do not keep the community safe. Community member Tyler Burkabile mentioned his experience with Wheeler Mission.
Homeless Coalition member Heather Lake explained her involvement bringing encampment residents warm drinks in the morning. She expressed concern for the residents’ safety.
Resident Kay Goodman stated the homeless population is in crisis. Council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith mentioned a meeting would be held on January 25th to discuss long term hopelessness solutions.
Thursday Evening at Seminary Park
At least 12 police officers were at Seminary Park at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Under police watch, contractors from Centerstone and Wheeler Mission removed campers’ belongings. Camp residents and supporters collaborated to move as much as possible to new camping locations. Some campers chose to move their tents off an easement into the center of the park in the hope that they would be able to stay.
Campers were ultimately evicted a few minutes before 11 p.m. as members of the parks department loaded tents and belongings onto trucks with flatbed trailers. According to reporting by Dave Askins of the B-Square Beacon, “Officers and parks staff got an earful from around two dozen activists as they removed the camping gear.”
At around 4 p.m. on Thursday, Harry Collins, founder of the Bloomington Homeless Coalition, talked to WFHB about the city’s planned eviction of campers at Seminary Square Park.
“The police just came in and they’re telling everybody they have to move today,” said Collins. “We’re trying to figure out how to, kind of buy these guys some time before we can get stuff moved.”
Collins was highly critical of the Mayor Hamilton administration in our interview. Here’s what he said of the city of Bloomington’s decision to evict campers at Seminary.
“Leave us the f*** alone,” said Collins of the Hamilton administration.
Hands Off the Homeless Protest
On Monday night, approximately 150 people gathered to march in protest of the evictions of people experiencing homelessness at Seminary Park. Concerned citizens gathered at Seminary at 9 p.m. and marched through freezing rain to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton’s home.
The event was organized by Bloomington Homeless Coalition volunteers and Bloomington’s unhoused population. Demonstrators led the march to Hamilton’s home holding signs which read, “Everybody’s got a right to live” and “Fight Poverty, Not the Poor.” Five demonstrators spoke outside of Hamilton’s home about their experience with city policies regarding people experiencing homelessness. The crowd even directly addressed Mayor Hamilton outside of his home, but Hamilton did not greet them.
Community Support for Beacon Winter Shelter
Beacon Inc. has posted on their Facebook page that there has been a groundswell of support from the community to open up the new winter shelter during this pandemic.
Forrest Gilmore reflected on the community action taken to open the low-barrier shelter in such an urgent time frame.
“Just to see the outpouring of support,” said Gilmore, “it’s just remarkable.”
