In some cities with growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness, the issue goes beyond encampments in public places — they’re also coping with more people living in cars and RVs parked on city streets. City leaders in Bozeman, Montana, are dealing with the tensions brought on by this more visible display of homelessness. Joe Lesar of Montana PBS reports.
Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.
John Yang:
In some cities with growing numbers of homeless people, the issue goes beyond encampments and public places. They`re also coping with more people living in cars and RVs parked on city streets. Montana PBS`s Joe Lesar reports on how city leaders in Bozeman Montana are dealing with the tensions arising from this more visible display of homelessness.
Steven Ankney, Bozeman resident: Terry, oh, man, you got to have thick skin out here.
Belinda Ankney, Bozeman resident: Oh, we got the windows broke out. Not went up there. It`s just completely gone.
Steven Ankney:
Yeah, that one`s had the BB come through there.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Steve and Belinda Ankney, have been living in their trailer on the streets of Bozeman for the past three years.
Steven Ankney:
We take plates around or if people are having a hard time and they`re not eating, they`ll stop by and ask if we can help her anyway.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
The rising cost of living has only compounded issues they I`ve been facing for years.
Belinda Ankney:
I was raised with the drugs. I was raised with the alcohol. That`s all I knew.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Both have struggled with addiction. Belinda works full time at a restaurant. But health issues made worse by inconsistent access to care have affected Steven`s ability to work.
Belinda Ankney:
One of the biggest misconceptions is that we want to be here that we`re not trying to get out.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Belinda`s legal troubles out another barrier to securing housing.
Belinda Ankney:
Yeah, the mental health issues. The drug issues the in and out of incarceration not getting the right help not being on the right meds, you know, just as – just CENSORED sucks.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Urban camping as it`s been named, has increased by 200 percent in the last two years, according to city officials. It`s a growing issue. It`s increasingly dividing Bozeman.
Woman:
If Bozeman is too expensive to live in, choose another place to live.
Man:
But it feels more like a warzone with all these housing crises and no solutions to anything.
Man:
Bozeman doesn`t owe anybody anything.
Man:
I`ve never seen or been in a city where there`s so much conflict over how this homelessness thing.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
To tackle this growing issue, Bozeman recently implemented a new ordinance limiting camping in the same spot to 30 days with an option for filing for an extension. There are rules about keeping camps clean, and after three warnings $25 civil penalties will be issued.
If unsanitary conditions continue, the city can clear camp 72 hours after giving notice. But some are criticizing city leaders for putting too much of a burden on the unhoused. Others feel they`re being too lenient. Mayor Terry Cunningham says the rules about where camping will be allowed will help make the situation more manageable.
Mayor Terry Cunningham, Bozeman, Montana:
You can`t be parked in front of a business, you can`t be parked in front of a school, childcare facility, residence, et cetera. So narrowing the areas that it is acceptable to camp in front of is important so we can get some level of predictability and control.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
But many camps are already in compliance with those rules. A group of businesses are suing the city alleging that it is refusing to enforce existing laws within the homeless encampments. Andrew Hinnenkamp runs one of the businesses involved in the lawsuit.
Andrew Hinnenkamp, Principal, Modulus Corporation:
Early on, we had some thefts of services on the property. We had a little bit of a harassment interaction with an employee and one of the individuals.
Terry Cunningham:
Homelessness has always been on the radar. This with urban camping are V`s more cars. This is a recent phenomenon.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Because of the generators, new model cars and TV antennas, there`s a sentiment in Bozeman that people are choosing to camp in order to save money on housing. City officials acknowledged that some people are doing that and will be asked to move on. But figuring out who those people are comes with challenges.
Terry Cunningham:
One of the difficulties is having the discussion and saying why are you currently homeless? We — they are not required to provide us with that information and often are uncomfortable answering those types of questions.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
The population of people experiencing homelessness in Bozeman has increased by 50 percent since 2020. In the groups providing services to this growing population have struggled to meet the demand.
Heather Grenier, President, Human Resources Development Council:
As a result of COVID there was this big uptick in demand and there was this outpouring of support. And now that outpouring of support has dropped off, but the demand has stayed up at this level and the resources are very insufficient to meet the need.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Heather Grenier, who runs the nonprofit Human Resource Development Council, says her organization`s caseload is at capacity. And there are not many alternatives available.
Heather Grenier:
It`s remarkably difficult because there`s no pathway for us to help them. There`s no housing. There`s no rental assistance to help them get into housing. And even if there were a housing unit, there`s no transitional housing.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Usage of HRDC overnight shelter has nearly doubled since 2019. Some of that needs should be eased when they`re new 24/7 shelter opens, but that`s not expected until next year. Grenier believes this newer, more visible form of homelessness has caused a shift in attitudes around Bozeman.
Heather Grenier:
Just general sentiment that everyone deserves the safe warm place to sleep is that doesn`t really resonate with everyone anymore.
Belinda Ankney:
Are we out? Are we out for it?
Steven Ankney:
No. I`ve seen not. I don`t know.
Belinda Ankney:
OK.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
Cost between a lack of services and a frustrated community, are people like Steven and Belinda?
Steven Ankney:
There are good people in Bozeman there. Yeah. It`s just the ugly overshadows the good so bad. This is what it`s about. We are having me struggles and we are having these problems. But as soon as we get through them, we are going to be okay. We are going to get to the other side.
Joe Lesar (voice-over):
For PBS News Weekend, I`m Joe Lesar in Bozeman, Montana.
