At 2 p.m. today Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson held a press conference addressing street homelessness in Bloomington. Thomson said that in her view the housing crisis and homelessness are solvable and outlined how the City of Bloomington is planning to continue to address the complex issue.

She walked the city’s current efforts, including hiring a homelessness response coordinator, using a Lilly Foundation grant to add case management staff, modernizing housing enforcement software and addressing housing affordability through lower costs and higher wages.

Thomson clarified the city’s approach to encampments, saying, “We cannot effectively arrest our way out of the homelessness problem,” while acknowledging recent arrests. She also voiced concerns about serving people outside the region, saying Bloomington is “treading water.”

Tune into today’s feature report to hear WFHB’s coverage of the press conference. To view the entire meeting, tap this link.