Homeless organization to rally for changes in South Bend on Monday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dozens of people are expected to crowd the streets of downtown South Bend Monday night and press city officials to make changes when it comes to homelessness in the city.  

Michiana Five for the Homeless is hosting the rally. The organizations want the city to provide a permanent shelter for weather amnesty and to have it open no later than November 1 each year. They also want the homeless population to receive more respect.

“We hope people will come to the rally, support our efforts, increase the awareness and increase the demand that our homeless are treated with respect so someone does not die, so someone does not freeze, and so people do not get frostbite,” said organizer John Shafer.

This comes after officials missed the deadline this year to open the weather amnesty shelter. That shelter on Tutt Street opened last Thursday, nearly a month after weather amnesty started.

Rally organizers say they’re happy the shelter is open but more needs to be done.

“We had temperatures that were below 20 and our city still did not open a warming center,” said Shafer. “They did not open anything as far as an emergency overnight shelter at that point. People were cold and freezing.”

Monday’s rally starts at 5 p.m. and is being held at 227 W. Jefferson Blvd.