BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The City of Bloomington is in the process of clearing out and cleaning the sites of several homeless encampments.
The Office of the Mayor claims the clearing and cleaning in necessary due to health and safety concerns the camps pose. The encampments in question are on both public and private properties, including Switchyard Park.
Per a release, the City of Bloomington's policies do not allow overnight camping at public parks. Camps on private property can only be cleared when the property owner issues a no-trespass order. More information on the process of clearing encampments on private property is available via a city resource guide.
“Our administration meets weekly with service providers to discuss issues and work toward a collaborative, long-term solution for street homelessness,” Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson said via release. “In the interim, we’re continuously monitoring safety within the camps and in surrounding areas.
"When it’s necessary to close a camp, we’re following the Housing Network’s recommended camp-moving guidelines whenever possible. These guidelines include, for example, giving 30 days notice before moving an established camp, helping individuals move or store their belongings, and connecting people to housing resources and other supports.”
In a release, the city claimed it has seen a rise in safety incidents and crime within the camps and surrounding areas. After receiving a request from a private property owner, the city issued a 30-day no-trespass notice on encampments to the east and west of Switchyard Park.
The city indicated resource officers had already been working with camp residents for months. Officials reported that those workers have spent the last 30 days offering housing resources to people residing in the camps.
Per the city, about 17 people were believed to live in the encampments when the no-trespass order was issued. By May 1, only five were left in the camps.
No arrests were made when the encampments were cleared. According to the city, one member of the camp was taken to her apartment and received assistance moving her personal belongings.
Per a release, the owner of the private property hired a separate contractor to clean the area.
The city claimed there have been additional reports of safety concerns at other encampments in Bloomington. Those camps also span public and private property. The campers have been asked to vacate the area for the sake of safety, according to a press release.
The city reported that other encampments will be cleared if no-trespass orders are issued. The Mayor Office's is not going to disclose the exact location or time at which the camps will be cleared "to protect the dignity of the individuals affected."
“These can be traumatic events for people living in crisis,” Thomson said. “While camp residents are welcome to invite assistance and support from people they trust, and service providers are on-hand to provide additional help, the city respectfully declines to turn this most private, distressing day into a public event for bystanders.”