An Indiana county spent $175K to clear a homeless camp. Former occupants have nowhere to go

Bloomington Homeless Coalition advocate Harry Collins said some of the people displaced from a former homeless encampment behind the At Home store on the west side had lived there for several years.

Monroe County has spent about $175,000 to clean up the encampment located just west of Bloomington where more than a dozen people had been living on overgrown county-owned land.

Collins said some people from the encampment had lived amid the trees and high brush for three years, maybe longer, undetected and not bothering anyone.

He said when a newer resident set up camp in an open space closer to the store, people started to complain about the camp and the people coming and going.

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"I don't know where they all went to," Collins said of the people ousted from the encampment. "They are just moving from place to place."

The county commissioners on June 8 approved an emergency declaration for the property, which allowed for immediate action because the area was deemed a public health hazard. 

County officials, including attorney Jeff Cockerill, toured the camp after the county posted a notice that people had to be gone by June 2. Officials reported finding thousands of used hypodermic needles on the ground and hazardous materials and bottles of liquid used to manufacture methamphetamine.

The clean-up began on June 3, and county employees worked through the weekend to collect what had been left behind. Greg Crohn, the county's facilities manager, said crews filled nine 40-yard dumpsters. "We are talking in the tons of garbage and everything else that has to be removed," he told the commissioners at their June 8 meeting.

He showed photos documenting the belongings, trash, needles and jugs of liquids removed and disposed of by Indiana State Police officers. 

Volunteers from Beacon and other homeless advocates were at the scene helping gather and move belongings by the deadline. Collins said dismantling encampments leaves residents with no place to go and puts them on the streets, where they become more visible to the community.

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Displaced people seek other places to live, locations tucked away in wooded areas with shade and, optimally, a source for water.

"Once this kind of thing starts, it's just a downward spiral from there because people are trying to find some place to go, and it's hard to find a place outside that's safe where you don't get run off," Collins said.

Collins has been without a home off and on for 25 years. "I camped out for multiple years and never got moved once. But it's different now."

He estimated there may be as many as 200 local homeless people who shun shelter living and prefer to live outside.

Is there a way to meet their needs? Collins said the answer is simple and doable: a plot of land off the beaten path but close to city services and a bus line, furnished with portable toilets and washing stations.

"We have suggested that, but they say it would have to have plumbing, restrooms and stuff like that, and all that would cost too much. There's always a reason it won't work," he said.

"To me, it's more common sense than anything: Find a place and bring in some porta potties. It would be cheaper than moving people all the time, and it would make life a lot better for the homeless people in our community."

Collins said he understands Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton has obligations to city residents and business owners who have negative encounters with unhoused people.

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"He's always saying he wants the best for his community, but the thing is, we are all part of his community," Collins said. "It's not it just certain individuals in the community. There are people born and raised in this town that are homeless."

The Rev. Forrest Gilmore oversees Beacon, a Bloomington-based agency that works to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness. He said Collins' estimate of people camping out as high, saying its likely fewer than 100.

Surrounding counties have few and sometimes no support services for unhoused people, who often funnel into Bloomington, where the social services network spreads wide. But it's overburdened with too many people seeking help and not enough services, or even beds for the night, to help everyone.

"What's available in the counties around here, well, there's almost nothing in some counties and a few private missions in the others," Gilmore said. "What's available isn't nearly sufficient."

He said the answer is not expanding shelter options, but establishing more permanent housing options for the homeless such as the two Crawford House apartment complexes and the Kinser Flats complex for people with substance abuse disorder.

Where did the camp occupants go?

There are several camps around Bloomington where people experiencing homelessness have created small communities tucked into wooded areas, often along streams.

Bloomington spokesman Andrew Krebbs said the city has recorded a "marked decrease" in the number of people living in a large homeless encampment in a wooded area along a creek on the east side of Switchyard Park.

He said there's been no noticeable increase in the number of homeless people there, or in other parts of the city, since at least 17 people and a few dogs were evicted from the homeless camp in the county.

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There has been discussion of designating an area for the homeless community with basic services such as toilets, sinks and fresh water. "This topic has been discussed in the past but our climate does not lend itself to outdoor year-round basic services," Krebbs said in an email.

All three county commissioners said they regret having to take action to move out the camp and spending so much money to clean up what was intended to be a drainage field. 

Julie Thomas, the commissioners president, acknowledged a difficult situation. "We do have to keep everybody safe, and that's the key here," she said. "It's really too bad this has to happen." 

The commissioners approved two contracts: $18,000 to Bio-One, an Indianapolis firm that specializes in toxic clean-ups, and no more than $157,500 to Crider& Crider to clear the land.

Commissioner Lee Jones agreed, and cited concern for the expense. "This is costing an awful lot of money. Hopefully, this will be a solution, at least for this location."

Once the detritus was cleared away, the undergrowth and vegetation on the property also was cleared, except for tree trunks. The greenspace will be kept mowed so police can monitor the site.

Contact reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com, 812-331-4362 or 812-318-5967.