“(The appropriation will) give us a chance to regroup and see what we can do to continue in the future,” council member Tim Mayer said.
A special session of the council met at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to vote on funds to keep the homeless shelter running. Martha’s House declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Perry Township and other local organizations and donors supported the shelter through the summer.
“Sometimes it takes the threat of losing something to rally,” council member Susan Sandberg said. “It came too close to closing.”
Sandberg said too often people assume others will step up to fill needs, and Bloomington cannot afford to lose any support for the homeless.
The $15,000 will come from the Jack Hopkins Social Services funding program, which supports local programs that provide food, shelter and healthcare to disadvantaged populations.
“It fits within the spirit of the Jack Hopkins fund,” council member Darryl Neher said of the decision.
Every council member who spoke praised the appropriation.
“This appropriation is a tangible step toward putting our money where our mouth is,” Representative Stephen Volan said.
He said in past years he heard assumptions being made about homeless, and he said he is pleased with the current conversation.
Rev. Forrest Gilmore of the Shalom Community Center thanked the council for addressing the issue. He was part of the board that kept the shelter from closing this summer and he said the proposal reached the council through a community effort.
A collaboration between Perry Township, the board, city and council kept the shelter open, but they did not have sufficient funds for the rest of the year until Thursday’s vote.
“A caring community must be willing to provide welfare,” council member Martin Spechler said.
He called himself proud of the council’s ability to help.
Affordable housing is too rare in Bloomington, according to Neher. He said he hopes the vote will be the beginning of a broader conversation on how to improve housing options.
Neher said it is a community obligation to participate in the conversation.
Council member Chris Sturbaum called for creativity and conversations to find solutions. He said he hopes more people will come together and make an effort to address these issues.
“I am optimistic sometime this year or the beginning of next year we will be able to revive what Martha’s House did,” Spechler said.
Council member Dave Rollo was the last to speak before the vote.
“It’s very important that we don’t lose ground — that we support our local safety nets,” Rollo said.
