Community Missions, the City of St. Joseph, and the St. Joseph Police Department are launching a coordinated effort to address unsheltered homelessness by prioritizing health, safety, and access to supportive services.
Officials emphasized that the initiative focuses on connecting individuals in outdoor encampments to safer alternatives rather than punishment or displacement. A 24-hour shelter is available to provide area residents with a secure place to rest, partake of basic necessities, and direct links to social services.
Rachael Martin, executive director of Community Missions says, “The 24-hour shelter only opened back in July. We’ve seen over 400 individuals come through the shelter, and currently we’ve identified 84 camps throughout the community. Some you can see and some you cannot.”
The 24-hour shelter provides services to men and women. Martin emphasizes that to stay at the shelter, individuals must be at least 18-years old.
To ensure a “care-centered” approach, outreach teams will engage with individuals at encampment sites multiple times before any clearing begins. The city says each person will receive at least three separate contacts and ample notice of upcoming changes. During these interactions, service partners will offer individualized assistance and answer questions to ensure no one is left without options.
St. Joseph City Manager, Mike Schumacher, says, “By all of us working together, we’ll be able to make a difference for the folks living in the elements. There have been health challenges with the cold. We feel its time to reach out and give folks the help they need.”
Organizers noted that while encampments can pose health and safety risks to residents, neighbors, and first responders, the goal is to reduce those risks while treating everyone with dignity and compassion.
Martin says, “We are really happy to have the city, the police department, and other community members and organizations actually coming together.”
Under the partnership, Community Missions and other service organizations lead the outreach and engagement efforts. The St. Joseph Police Department’s role is limited to safety and coordination, supporting a service-led strategy.
City leaders acknowledged that homelessness is a complex issue requiring long-term solutions. This collaboration represents a continued commitment to expanding access to permanent housing, behavioral health support, and community partnerships.
Schumacher adds, “In reality, this will be an ongoing effort, and the collaboration between us and private partners is key to its success.”
