Members of South Bend’s homeless community had an opportunity to address the Common Council on Monday.
They were joined by advocates for the homeless at Monday night’s Council meeting, and spoke about the challenges they face in the city following the removal of a camp under the South Main Street railroad bridge.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg spoke at the beginning of the meeting, and then sat in the audience.
One woman remarked that she felt the city “has been, despite a grand vision, treating people inhumanely and unfairly, treating people without dignity.” She added that she doesn’t blame the council, but said they are the voices who can say something to the administration on their behalf.
The mayor and the homeless seemed to agree that the primary goal is to find a safe environment for the city’s homeless.
Meanwhile, The Center for the Homeless and Life Treatment Center has begun their winter amnesty program.
South Bend homeless petition by Tom Franklin on Scribd
1 comment
If you are homeless you don’t have a community; you have a gathering at best. If you’re city has a ‘homeless community’ it is broken.
Time to reinstate action of Article 9 of the Indiana Constitution. Section 1: It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide, by law, for the support of institutions…for the treatment of the insane.
And Section 3: The counties may provide farms, as an asylum for those persons who, by reason of age, infirmity, or other misfortune, have claims upon the sympathies and aid of society.
It was never intended to just let these people wander the streets.