Bemidji's Homeless Problem: The Pink Elephant is Growing
By Robby Robinson
On any given winter night in the Bemidji region, there may be as many as 1,000 homeless adults and children. They seek shelter in the homes of friends or relatives, established homeless shelters, and even the lobby of the Bemidji Law Enforcement Center. During the summer months, many find shelter outside.
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Point-in-Time” count conducted in January, the coldest month of the year, found that within Bemidji there were at least 15 identifiable people sleeping on the streets, despite subzero temperatures. Uncounted individuals are assumed to have found shelter with other people or in shelters around town.
Those working with homeless issues in the area agree that the government survey produces some skewed numbers for those living in northern climates. Pat Grundmeier, director of the Bemidji Area Service Collaborative indicated that homeless people are much harder to locate in the winter months than in the summer months. They are less easy to find because they must go to great lengths to take cover and stay warm.
“They find boarded up houses, heated hallways, garages, cars or just about anywhere to sleep,” Grundmeier said. “They may be invisible to the public, but they’re out there. . . even in January.” The patterns the homeless follow are often dictated by what happens to be open on any given night and how much money they have, he explained.
“If they have any cash, they may run their motor vehicle for warmth or stay in a motel. If they know they are welcome to stay in one place one night but not the next, they’ll keep track of that…For the homeless it’s a whole different world.”
According the federal guidelines, anybody with a roof overhead and sleeping in a building fit for human habitation is not legally homeless, said Ann McGill, housing and homeless coordinator at the Bi-County Community Action Council for Cass and Beltrami counties. BiCAP administers numerous federal social programs for the two counties. State guidelines are more realistic, according to McGill, realizing that “just because you have a place to sleep doesn’t necessarily mean you have a home.”
“Many families are doubled up or living with someone else,” she said. “They don’t have rights as renters or even home mailing addresses. A family disagreement could result in them being on the street or sleeping on someone else’s couch.”
Unfortunately for northern Minnesota homeless, the Point-in-Time survey is often used as the basis for federal programs and grant money, added McGill. When numbers such as the January numbers must be used for grants and federal programs, this becomes problematic. Minnesota homeless, in the winter, are under-reported due to survival tactics used in inclement conditions. As a result, they are under-served.
For those seeking emergency shelter in Bemidji there are several options:
Ours to Serve House of Hospitality has been in operation for nearly 20 years serves primarily families with children and the recently organized Servants of Shelter is a mission of volunteer churches and individuals and operates during the fall and winter months. Both screen those who seek shelter and neither serves anyone who has been using drugs or alcohol.
The People’s Church has an open door policy that causes concern with its neighbors. Rev. Bob Kelly points out that it “isn’t really a shelter but a Lutheran church that sees to the needs of homeless men and women, including providing shelter when they have nowhere else to go.” The church is currently operating under the shadow of a cease and desist order from the city.
The recent Northwest Continuum of Care “Heading Home” report, released in November, noted Beltrami County for its many top rankings in a number of negative social statistics. Several factors contribute to the findings, including the region’s close proximity to three Indian reservations, a lack of jobs - specifically “living wage” jobs - and personal issues such as mental illness or chemical dependency.
Said Headwaters Regional Development Commission Community Development Director Tim Flathers, “there just aren’t many good jobs around.”
Besides employment in government, education and medicine, most jobs are in the service industries that don’t offer living wages, he said. With income not keeping up with rental costs, which are naturally tied to high property values, many just can’t afford the rent.
Flathers said his agency is currently raising funds to create short term housing solutions and all emergency shelter providing agencies are currently making expansion plans.
“My perception is that here are fewer vacancies that people can afford,” he said, “and with the economy tightening as it is, I see the problem getting worse before it gets better.”
READER RESPONSES:
"This is a great and enlightening story. People should be shouting from the roof tops about this. I was really shocked to know that there were people who could be counted sleeping on the streets in January."
Debbie Warne-Jacobsen via Facebook
On any given winter night in the Bemidji region, there may be as many as 1,000 homeless adults and children. They seek shelter in the homes of friends or relatives, established homeless shelters, and even the lobby of the Bemidji Law Enforcement Center. During the summer months, many find shelter outside.
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Point-in-Time” count conducted in January, the coldest month of the year, found that within Bemidji there were at least 15 identifiable people sleeping on the streets, despite subzero temperatures. Uncounted individuals are assumed to have found shelter with other people or in shelters around town.
Those working with homeless issues in the area agree that the government survey produces some skewed numbers for those living in northern climates. Pat Grundmeier, director of the Bemidji Area Service Collaborative indicated that homeless people are much harder to locate in the winter months than in the summer months. They are less easy to find because they must go to great lengths to take cover and stay warm.
“They find boarded up houses, heated hallways, garages, cars or just about anywhere to sleep,” Grundmeier said. “They may be invisible to the public, but they’re out there. . . even in January.” The patterns the homeless follow are often dictated by what happens to be open on any given night and how much money they have, he explained.
“If they have any cash, they may run their motor vehicle for warmth or stay in a motel. If they know they are welcome to stay in one place one night but not the next, they’ll keep track of that…For the homeless it’s a whole different world.”
According the federal guidelines, anybody with a roof overhead and sleeping in a building fit for human habitation is not legally homeless, said Ann McGill, housing and homeless coordinator at the Bi-County Community Action Council for Cass and Beltrami counties. BiCAP administers numerous federal social programs for the two counties. State guidelines are more realistic, according to McGill, realizing that “just because you have a place to sleep doesn’t necessarily mean you have a home.”
“Many families are doubled up or living with someone else,” she said. “They don’t have rights as renters or even home mailing addresses. A family disagreement could result in them being on the street or sleeping on someone else’s couch.”
Unfortunately for northern Minnesota homeless, the Point-in-Time survey is often used as the basis for federal programs and grant money, added McGill. When numbers such as the January numbers must be used for grants and federal programs, this becomes problematic. Minnesota homeless, in the winter, are under-reported due to survival tactics used in inclement conditions. As a result, they are under-served.
For those seeking emergency shelter in Bemidji there are several options:
Ours to Serve House of Hospitality has been in operation for nearly 20 years serves primarily families with children and the recently organized Servants of Shelter is a mission of volunteer churches and individuals and operates during the fall and winter months. Both screen those who seek shelter and neither serves anyone who has been using drugs or alcohol.
The People’s Church has an open door policy that causes concern with its neighbors. Rev. Bob Kelly points out that it “isn’t really a shelter but a Lutheran church that sees to the needs of homeless men and women, including providing shelter when they have nowhere else to go.” The church is currently operating under the shadow of a cease and desist order from the city.
The recent Northwest Continuum of Care “Heading Home” report, released in November, noted Beltrami County for its many top rankings in a number of negative social statistics. Several factors contribute to the findings, including the region’s close proximity to three Indian reservations, a lack of jobs - specifically “living wage” jobs - and personal issues such as mental illness or chemical dependency.
Said Headwaters Regional Development Commission Community Development Director Tim Flathers, “there just aren’t many good jobs around.”
Besides employment in government, education and medicine, most jobs are in the service industries that don’t offer living wages, he said. With income not keeping up with rental costs, which are naturally tied to high property values, many just can’t afford the rent.
Flathers said his agency is currently raising funds to create short term housing solutions and all emergency shelter providing agencies are currently making expansion plans.
“My perception is that here are fewer vacancies that people can afford,” he said, “and with the economy tightening as it is, I see the problem getting worse before it gets better.”
READER RESPONSES:
"This is a great and enlightening story. People should be shouting from the roof tops about this. I was really shocked to know that there were people who could be counted sleeping on the streets in January."
Debbie Warne-Jacobsen via Facebook
posted by Katie Carter at
11:17 AM
<< Home