Our town needs Interfaith

Interfaith Winter Shelter closed for the summer April 1, leaving 50-some guests sleeping on the streets.

Finding a replacement shelter for the summer is complicated, mostly because the support for the only low-barrier overnight shelter in Bloomington is just not there.

Out of the roughly 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness each year in the United States, 35 percent are families with children, 23 percent are U.S. military veterans, 25 percent are children under the age of 18, and 30 percent have experienced domestic violence.

Drug and alcohol addiction only affects about 20 percent of the population of people experiencing homelessness, a much lower number than the traditional stereotype.

Often, the stress of homelessness exacerbates these substance abuse problems, creating a dangerous cycle that is difficult to break.

According to an April 1 Indiana Daily Student article, Interfaith is the only shelter in Bloomington that does not require its tenants to be sober   — the only requirement is respectful behavior.

Drug addicts should certainly be given the tools to overcome their disease, but there are countless other reasons that people can be turned down from high-barrier shelters for simpler reasons than addiction.

In all Bloomington shelters other than Interfaith, tenants have to be Monroe Country citizens and be able to prove it with documentation. They also frequently have to be free of bedbugs, agree with the shelter’s associated religion, be willing to be separate from their spouse and be free from mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.  

In other words, we have high expectations for those who already have the lowest chances.

People experiencing homelessness have some of the lowest chances of finding employment.

Employers rarely accept applications without a permanent address listed, and they consider time spent in a homeless shelter to indicate a risky applicant. Often, the very efforts people experiencing homelessness make to better their situations are met with hostility from employers. One barrier is destroyed only to have another one pop up.

Mayor Mark Kruzan has said he does not support the summer shelter, because he believes it encourages out-of-town homeless people to come to Bloomington. The city simply does not have the resources to sustain an influx of homeless people, he said.

Really, the problem is about image — the mayor does not want to have Bloomington known for its homeless population.

The lack of volunteers and resources, however, is a valid logistical problem that has prevented Interfaith from finding a replacement shelter for the summer. And it stems from the fact that because of negative and untrue stereotypes, many members of the Bloomington community frankly don’t care.

Shelters do not solve the issue of poverty, but they do provide the bare bones of survival. Shelters are not hammocks — they’re lifelines.

By rejecting low-barrier summer shelters, the Bloomington community as a whole is giving up on those who need help the most. Everyone deserves a chance.  

cjellert@indiana.edu
@cjellert