Homeless bill dies in House, but local official keeping tabs on it coming back

Putnam County is not alone in the six county region, which includes neighboring Clay and Parke among others.

Lea Durbin knows all too well the impact homelessness can have on a person or a family. Durbin lives it daily as the Beyond Homeless Incorporated executive director. 

Durbin has seen her shelter full daily and is often struggling to try to find assistance for those they may not be able to assist immediately. 

"We average 45 to 60 requests for shelter and financial assistance a month," Durbin told The Putnam County Post. 

Durbin said that while vacancies come up every now and then, her and her staff are filling the beds almost as quick as they open. And, she notes that Putnam County is not alone in the six county region, which includes neighboring Clay and Parke among others, is facing an epidemic.

"In our region alone, we only have 151 shelter beds. To put that into context, Putnam County has 37,000 people. I have 24 beds. We don't have a lot of space, and when you have as many people facing homelessness and the needs are rising, it is a problem," Durbin said. 

The problem may have dodged a huge bullet recently, as a bill that would have criminalized homelesness has died in the Indiana General Assembly for now. 

House Bill 1662, which was authored by Whiteland Republican Michelle Davis, would have created a criminal penalty for anyone camping, sleeping or using land owned by the state or a political subdivision. Under the measure, those caught sleeping, camping or using the land in question and hadn't moved within 24 hours of receiving a warning could have been arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor, facing a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail or a fine. 

While the bill is dead currently, there is a chance its language could appear in another bill before the end of the General Assembly's session in April. 

Durbin admits she isn't political by nature, but had some strong words for Davis and others in favor of the measure.

"We need to see these individuals as the humans they are and not just taking up space on a sidewalk," Durbin told The Putnam County Post. 

For five years, Durbin has fought to tackle homelessness and make the general public aware of the issue and erase some of the stigmas associated with homelessness. 

"It is an attempt to criminalize homelessness. I have been on my soapbox for over five years saying that homelessness is a human issue. I don't believe in criminalizing someone who does not have a safe space to go. That is my opinion and it is what my team and I work with every single day. Nobody wants to take someone to jail because they don't have a place to go. We need to be cognizant of the fact that life happens to people. What happens if you can't pay rent and get evicted or you have children and your children get taken away because you are living in your car? There are so many of these things that need to be thought through in a better manner. It is through no fault of a lot of people and the fastest growing population of first time people experiencing homelessness are age 55 and over. It is catastrophic life events, losing a job and how do we help these people? It is not political, but rather a human issue. I don't think taking someone to jail is going to help someone get housing if there isn't housing," Durbin said.

Durbin said she would welcome a meeting with Davis or other politicians who believe it is a good idea to criminalize homelessness, saying she has several questions for them.  

"I'd ask, have you ever spent the day on the streets working with an outreach team trying to find solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness or in a homeless shelter to see the lives of the people who are trying to get better. I would ask questions like do you understand and do you understand the trauma that some of these families have seen that started the process to all of this," Durbin said.