TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — At last week’s city council meeting, Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun announced a new way the city will be trying to combat homelessness.
A task force will be put together, made up of local organizations and city council members.
Sakbun said the city is facing short-term and long-term problems with the number of homeless residents on the street.
In the short term, winter is approaching, and the city doesn’t want anybody out in the cold, so there is already a team making plans for warming shelters.
In the long term, the city is looking to create a 10-year plan to help anyone on the street find shelter with things like income-based housing.
Sakbun said the majority of homeless people are looking for help and the city wants to do all it can.
“A small percentage of the population does not want help, does not want resources”, Sakbun said. Let’s focus our advocacy and our efforts on the 80% or 85% of individuals who would accept help, who do want a hand up, and who do want to get back into society, become employed again, get shelter again, get a home again, and get a sense of a family and community again. That’s really what we’re doing here.”
Mayor Sakbun said the short-term task force has already started efforts on preparing warming shelters and the long-term task force will begin work after everything is done in preparation for winter.
