Bloomington mayor and service providers discuss city strategy to reduce homelessness

Noon Edition

Earlier this month, the City of Bloomington announced it is partnering with local housing groups to tackle issues related to homelessness.

The plan calls for a short-term pause on welcoming people who are unhoused from outside the region to overnight emergency shelters, focusing on reunification services instead.

Long term, the plan calls for increasing the number of housing units with rent under $500 per month. Those could include single room occupancy and studio apartments, shared housing and tiny homes.

The plan also envisions restructuring the local criminal justice system around in-patient recovery and mental health care for repeat offenders.

Then this week, the Bloomington Common Council heard office and departments present budget proposals for 2025. Many of the departments presented concerns and strategies for the housing crisis locally. One of the ideas presented was an eviction prevention fund.

Read more: Bloomington's Thomson at the DNC talks homelessness, water accident, annexation

NPR reported the U.S. Supreme Court’s biggest decision addressing homelessness in decades ruled that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places. The decision came down in June. It overturned lower court rulings that deemed it cruel and unusual under the Eighth Amendment to punish people for sleeping outside if they had nowhere else to go.

This Friday on Noon Edition, we'll talk with Bloomington's mayor and local service providers about their strategies to address homelessness in the community.

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Guests

Kerry Thomson, Bloomington mayor

Rev. Forrest Gilmore, Beacon Inc. executive director

Emily Pike, New Hope for Families executive director