With public camping now illegal, what's next for Monroe County's unhoused population?

from Noon Edition · host Indiana Public Media

Indiana's Senate Enrolled Act 285 went into effect July 1. The new law prohibits camping, sleeping, or sheltering long-term on publicly owned land without permission. If unhoused people don’t move into a shelter or diversion program with 48 hours of being given a warning, they can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.Read more: A cop, a homeless man, and a provider: The street view of new state law’s consequencesAt the same time, local organizations dedicated to fighting homelessness and providing services to unhoused people are making major steps to expand and create new paths towards permanent housing and long-term stability.Read more: Homelessness initiative would offer year of subsidized rentOn this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the short and long-term impacts of the new state law, the current state of homelessness response in Monroe County, and what the future looks like for organizations that provide services for unhoused people in Bloomington and beyond.Guests:Reverend Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director at Beacon, Inc.Mary Morgan, Executive Director of Heading Home of South Central IndianaBrian Giffen, Homelessness Response Coordinator with the City of Bloomington.

What this episode covers

Indiana's Senate Enrolled Act 285 went into effect July 1. The new law prohibits camping, sleeping, or sheltering long-term on publicly owned land without permission. If unhoused people don’t move into a shelter or diversion program with 48 hours of being given a warning, they can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Read more: A cop, a homeless man, and a provider: The street view of new state law’s consequences At the same time, local organizations dedicated to fighting homelessness and providing services to unhoused people are making major steps to expand and create new paths towards permanent housing and long-term stability. Read more: Homelessness initiative would offer year of subsidized rent On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the short and long-term impacts of the new state law, the current state of homelessness response in Monroe County, and what the future looks like for organizations that provide services for unhoused people in Bloomington and beyond. Guests: Reverend Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director at Beacon, Inc. Mary Morgan, Executive Director of Heading Home of South Central Indiana Brian Giffen, Homelessness Response Coordinator with the City of Bloomington.