Salvation Army says it’s not fully prepared for the closure of Bloomington’s homeless encampment. People at the encampment say they don’t know where to go.
For the past year, a homeless encampment has existed in a parking lot owned by Eastview Church on Oakland Ave. The encampment was administered by Home Sweet Home Ministries (HSHM) which is right next door.
However, in September, the City of Bloomington announced plans to remove the encampment by October 15th, 2024 saying they wanted to get people in shelters before winter hits. Bloomington City Council approved an emergency declaration allowing the City Manager to temporarily ignore building and fire codes at the Salvation Army shelter. This will allow Salvation Army to house an additional thirty-two people. It normally houses about forty people. The Salvation Army received a $50,000 donation from Eastview Church to assist with cots, bedding, and overnight staffing.
The encampment on Oakland is home to about fifty people. Kimberly Massey of God’s Mission Ministry (GMM) says she’s hearing from people at the encampment that they have not heard from Salvation Army regarding if they can stay. God’s Mission Ministry offers free food and supplies to unhoused individuals throughout Bloomington-Normal.
Encampment residents were given a notice from HSHM stating the encampment will be officially closed at 11 AM on the 15th. Any property not removed by 11:30 will be removed.
The Salvation Army expansion was always going to be a limited and short-term solution. Many people living on the streets have already been permanently banned from the Salvation Army shelter or are ineligible because of criminal history. Sources say the Salvation Army was going to re-evaluate people to see if they could stay.
The Salvation Army released this statement to Agitation Rising stating they are not fully ready to accept residents on the 15th. They are lacking fire safety equipment, cots, and additional staffing. However, they be able to provide unhoused individuals with a safe space, blankets, and hydration from 10:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. starting October 15th. The official statement reads:
The Salvation Army is diligently working to prepare our Safe Harbor Emergency Winter Shelter, which will provide a haven for unhoused individuals transitioning from the encampment in Bloomington.
We hoped to open doors to the emergency shelter on October 15, 2024, so long as essential supplies were available for purchase and delivery and labor for facility updates could be completed quickly.
The official opening of the emergency shelter is pending the professional installation of fire safety equipment, which is scheduled for this week, and the delivery of cots, which the supplier expects to ship soon. We are currently conducting interviews for additional staffing in the shelter.
In the interim, until the Emergency Winter Shelter opens, we are taking immediate action to support individuals at the encampment through alternative programs and resources.
Our Safety Net, which typically opens during harsh winter conditions, will open on October 15 to provide unhoused individuals with a safe space, blankets, and hydration from 10:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Additionally, individuals will have access to The Salvation Army’s day services, which include meals, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. We are also working to identify additional beds and temporary housing openings.
Salvation Army staff has visited the encampment and will continue to do so to update residents and provide individual support that meets their needs.
We continue coordinating with our community partners at the City of Bloomington and Home Sweet Home Ministries and look forward to opening doors to the Emergency Winter Shelter very soon.
Massey says, “I’m really worried about the mental health of these clients living in cots so close together. Thirty-two people in a room with mental health illness, drug addiction, trauma, insomnia, third-shift jobs, sensory disorders.
“Some don’t understand whats going on because their brain are not equipped to deal with it.” Others have other medical issues that affect their mobility.
Massey says many are planning on moving into the woods, which is more dangerous and more isolated from the services they need. GMM plans on helping people in the encampment move to new locations—including the woods—but Massey said she’s worried about losing contact with some people.
GMM provides food and hygiene products between 3-4 times per week. They travel to wherever they know people are. Their clientele includes people who are ineligible for services from the Salvation Army and HSHM.
GMM is seeking donations. You can find their information on the flier below.
Temperatures are expected to reach 37 degrees tonight with possible showers. Temperatures are expected to be as low as 30 degrees Tuesday night.
