Homeless told to move belongings in South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - South Bend city officials say the homeless must clear their belongings from under the Main Street bridge.

Code enforcement posted signs Friday citing a public nuisance.

The bridge is a popular encampment for the city’s homeless, and several blankets, boxes and pillows sit underneath.

“One person said one thing, we’ve got to come through and clean up,” Joe MacDonald, who lives under the bridge, said.

MacDonald says he is unsure what he’ll do next.

“This is our life. If I choose to freeze up under here, let him freeze under here,” MacDonald said.

The city says this is a public health issue.

In a statement, a representative from Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office said:

    “At this time, code enforcement is acting to make sure all public health and personal safety concerns are met under the bridge and in     nearby areas. As safety and health concerns escalate with the onset of cold weather, the administration is quickly approaching the point     where we will need to require individuals to leave and seek shelter in weather amnesty, which opens at Center for the Homeless and Life     Treatment Center November 1^st, and at Project Warm December 1^st.”