Bloomington is currently dealing with a homeless crisis. You need not go far down the streets of Kirkwood, College Avenue or Walnut Street to see the homeless of Bloomington looking for a place to call home.

Additionally, there have been numerous run ins with some of Indiana University’s students like senior Justin DeVince.

“As I was pumping my gas, this homeless man comes up to me and he has a tote and it’s half open so you can see there is stuff in it and he keeps touching it” DeVince said.

“He tried to get me to buy him stuff. Obviously he is bigger than me. It is five in the morning, no one is here besides me and the attendant and so I just cooperated with him.”

DeVince isn’t alone.

Ben Forbes is a security guard at Kilroy’s on Kirkwood. During his shift this past weekend he was a victim of assault while trying to get a man to stop harassing an intoxicated patron.

“He escalated it. He started throwing punches to which we responded by getting him on the ground and having the police called.”

Harry Collins is the co-founder of the Bloomington Homeless Coalition. A group of homeless and non-homeless individuals who work together to get Bloomington’s homeless into homes.

Collins feels for the students who have had negative relationships with the homeless.

“I am so sorry to anyone who have experienced that. No one should have to go through that.”

Collins is afraid that these interactions may be blinding students from the real issues.

“They don’t see the underlying problem.”

Collins says that Bloomington is currently experiencing a housing crisis that needs more attention.

“In the state of Indiana, you got to have three times the amount of rent.”

Collins further explains, “So guess what? If rent is $600, you gotta bring $1800…I don’t know a ton of homeless people with $1800 here.”

Bloomington spokeswoman Yael Ksander says that providing housing options for lower income citizens is a top priority.

“30% of homeowners and 60% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. 60% of renters is quite a lot so clearly there is a mismatch between affordable housing and incomes here in Bloomington” explained Ksander.

Beacon is a local non-profit foundation who provides support to members of the homeless community through shelters and food banks. Executive Director Forrest Beacon, feels as if the affordable housing situation isn’t getting better.

“Affordable housing in particular has gotten quite a bit worse over the last decade.”

As far as what message Collins has to send, he wants the community to broaden their perspective.

“We spend what little we have to support the community so think about us.”