South Bend Homelessness Coordinator discusses concerns with Portage Manor closure

 

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Only 47 days until Portage Manor residents are expected to be moved out, according to family members and residents of the health care facility.

Though St. Joseph County Commissioners say July 31 is simply the soonest deadline the county could give to the state of Indiana for closing down the building. Portage Manor will remain open until all residents are rehoused, according to commissioner Carl Baxmeyer. 

But the decision to close the facility by Saint Joseph County Councilmembers Tuesday night has many worried about the fate of its residents, who may not have a viable place to go.

City officials are getting ready to step in if need be.

“The concern is that vulnerable residents are being displaced,” says Carl Hetler, the soon-to-be Homelessness Coordinator for the City of South Bend.

Hetler is already thinking ahead about a challenge he may be faced with when he takes office July 1st, beginning his new role as South Bend's first Homelessness Coordinator.

The need for the position comes after a push to better address homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse on the streets.

“It’s very traumatic to be on the streets, to lose your housing, to be vulnerable,” Hetler explains.

Hetler worries vulnerable residents of Portage Manor are more likely to end up on the streets or in jail if they don’t have a proper plan, and he has concerns about the facilities county leaders are recommending for them to go. Namely Valley View in Elkhart, a senior living facility.

“I’m skeptical of their plan to move people to facilities that aren’t equipped and trained to give people that kind of community support they’ve been given at Portage Manor,” worries Hetler.

Part of Hetler’s goals as Homelessness Coordinator is to build an intake center where people can go immediately if they are struggling.

With a two to three month wait on most homeless facilities in the city, it's a much-needed avenue.

He says an idea to place the intake center on the extra land by Portage Manor was shot down by County Commissioners, leaving him still on the search.

“We came to them with a proposal to build affordable housing; to build this intake center that we’re looking for land for on some of the unused Portage Manor land, separate from the current residents, as a way to use that land, better manage it, and help invest in the current infrastructure,” Hetler says. “They turned us down.”

He hopes that Portage Manor residents are able to stay off the streets, but he knows it’s a real possibility.

Although shelters are full, Hetler says there are still options for treatment at other facilities.

Part of his job as Homelessness Coordinator will be to make those resources more visible for those who need to use them or for people who want to help address the issue.

“If you see someone panhandling on the side of the streets or see someone sleeping in a doorway, it can feel overwhelming to know how can I help this person? What can I do to make a difference? In this new position, coordinating all the services, we’re going to let people know, here’s small, tangible, practical ways you can get plugged in,” Hetler explains.

County council members tell ABC57 they’re still working things out with their recommended care facility to transfer some of the residents.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect information about the July 31 closing deadline for Portage Manor.