Roseland Town Council hires attorney over motel being used as a shelter

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Roseland Town Council held a meeting on Friday to address what they say are difficulties in communicating with the City of South Bend regarding the Motel 6 which is currently sheltering 11 residents.

The Town Council said that they have hired attorney Bob Masters as part of establishing more reliable communication between them and the South Bend City government.

Masters is also helping them with enforcing city ordinances.

Masters says that South Bend has “not been neighborly” with the city of Roseland in regards to the situation with the Motel 6.

“We’re in the middle of a pandemic; communication is key – that saves lives,” Elizabeth McCombs said, the Roseland Town Council President. “Had we have been approached before they had made a decision to put a shelter in, I’m sure the town council could have guided them as to where to put one.”

The Town Council also said that they themselves and Clay Fire were not notified of the shelter being put in place early on.

The Motel 6 has been housing homeless COVID-19 patients since mid-April.