A homeless encampment near I-65 and Eastern Boulevard in Jeffersonville is scheduled to be cleared on August 13 under a new Indiana law that prohibits people from camping, sleeping, or using long-term shelter on state-owned property.
Concerns Over Resources
People living at the encampment say they need more help finding somewhere else to go before they’re forced to leave. Lacee Pearson, who has been living at the encampment for several months, said more direct outreach is needed to connect people experiencing homelessness with available resources.
Pearson emphasized that the only way to address the problem is to go on foot to these camps and meet with the people. Leslea Townsend Cronin with the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana also stressed the need for more resources to help people who lose their shelter.
Catalyst Rescue Mission reported a 15% increase in the number of people seeking services, with over 100 people coming through its doors each day. Staffing is also a challenge, with case management being critical to helping people navigate the barriers to housing and other services.
For people living at the encampment, the next few days will be filled with uncertainty as they search for somewhere else to go. Pearson hopes that people experiencing homelessness are treated with compassion, saying, “Just be compassionate to the homeless people. Everybody is a person, and that’s all that should matter.”
Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.
