More than a dozen unhoused individuals were displaced Wednesday when officials for the city of Bloomington and Monroe County enforced eviction notices for three encampments near Switchyard Park.
The city of Bloomington issued eviction notices for two of the encampments. Bloomington Police Department Public Information Officer Ryan Pedigo said in an email he did not know how many people were estimated to be living in the encampments before Wednesday. However, he said five people were still at the encampments Wednesday. These individuals were told they needed to vacate the encampments and advised they would be trespassing if they stayed on the property. BPD did not make any arrests at the encampments Wednesday.
"Our Downtown Resource Officers, in conjunction with area service providers, have been working with those living in the encampments since the beginning of April to provide plenty of notice that the encampments would need to be vacated by May 1,” Pedigo said in an email.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners also authorized the clearing of an encampment off Rogers Street across from Switchyard Park, on the Thomson site. The Monroe County Commissioners previously considered this property, which is owned by the county, as a site to build a new jail. Phil Parker, Chief Deputy for the Monroe County Sherrif’s Department, said in an email the commissioners’ staff issued the eviction notice April 23, a week before occupants would be required to leave the property on May 1. Parker said approximately six to eight individuals were moved from the encampment.
“[The MCSD’s] role in this entire process is solely to provide on-site security to those completing the removal of the camps,” Parker said. “We will likely continue in that role for the duration of the site removal.”
When reached for comment, Bloomington Deputy Mayor Gretchen Knapp said the mayor’s office will release more information later Thursday or early Friday.
Wednesday marks the third time the city of Bloomington has cleared unhoused encampments since Mayor Kerry Thomson took office in January. The city cleared an unhoused encampment near the intersection of Fairview Street and Patterson Drive on Jan. 4, displacing around a dozen people. The city also cleared an encampment behind Wheeler Mission on Jan. 25, also displacing around a dozen people.
Thomson has worked with religious leaders from First Christian and First United Methodist Churches of Bloomington to create an emergency shelter for unhoused individuals in case of dangerously cold weather.
During her first State of the City address April 9, Thomson said her administration is trying to find ways to address homelessness in Bloomington. In addition to establishing the emergency shelter, she said during her address she tasked the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department with creating a comprehensive city housing plan to help implement housing solutions.
