By RANDY CROUCH

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — The Marquette area’s homelessness population has been a hotly debated topic in recent months, with local business owners and representatives attending city meetings and venting their frustrations.

Room at the Inn Executive Director Chelsie Wilkinson says that she hopes the conversation can continue in a constructive way.

In June, several business owners voiced their concerns about the issue in a meeting attended by Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs and Marquette Police Department Chief Ryan Grim.

During the meeting, many in attendance noted that in recent years the visibility of Marquette’s homeless population has increased. Many of the business owners expressed concern for the safety of their customers and employees.

According to Wilkinson, many of the individuals who are causing issues aren’t guests at the Room at the Inn, a sentiment that was echoed in June by Grim during the meeting with business owners.

“We are a low-barrier, behavior-based shelter. Which means that we don’t really require a whole lot of documentation. A lot of times those who are coming with us with absolutely nothing. A lot of times people get stopped in their tracks when they don’t have an ID or a Social Security card,” Wilkinson said. “We try to eliminate that barrier.”

While documentation for guests isn’t a barrier to entry, their behavior while in the shelter is what makes or breaks their ability to stay.Room at the Inn board members and workers evaluate guest behavior on a case-by-case basis.

“We have to take isolated incidents with a grain of salt. When I talk to the guests, every Thursday we have a guest meeting, and so we can bring these behaviors up to the surface and say ‘Hey, this is a communal living space,'” Wilkinson said. “A lot of the people in our shelter are in the worst chapter of their life. They’re in the middle of trying to be sober and clean and on top of that they are living in a very high-stress environment with 25 other people going through their own things.”

Another concern brought about by business owners has to do with individuals being under the influence.

“Sobriety is not a prerequisite to staying at our shelter. We have folks that are actively engaging in substance abuse or actively dealing with an alcohol problem,” Wilkinson said. “Where it becomes potentially problematic is when using any type of substance is affecting your behavior. When I say ‘behavior -based’ that’s where the behavior comes in.”

Wilkinson said that the Room at the Inn’s Washington Street location, rightly or wrongly, has led to the shelter being seen as the symbol for homelessness in Marquette.

“I recognize our proximity on Washington Street. It’s really important that we have a really high expectation for the folks that are in our shelter and making sure that they are engaging in safe behaviors and not acting out erratically,” Wilkinson said. “Once they get to our shelter, we go through an entire orientation packet where we say ‘Here are the rules.'”

Marquette residents, or those paying attention to the Marquette police log, will notice numerous calls bring officers to the warming shelter. Wilkinson said that their relationship with the Marquette Police Department is solid and that they have an understanding of what the shelter is doing.

“We have a wonderful relationship with the police. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Capt. Greg Kinonen and meeting with him on this subject,” Wilkinson said. “The moment a situation goes from safe to unsafe, I’ve instructed my staff to involve the police when they feel the safety of themselves or any of the guests is compromised.”

While many in the community are supportive of Room at the Inn and other organizations that are helping those experiencing homelessness, Wilkinson understands that many in the community are less forgiving and hoping to take a more aggressive approach to tackling the issue. She says that she hopes keeping an open dialogue with those from every part of the community can help the issue, including a group of local business owners who are meeting to discuss the issue.

“Even if there are hard conversations, I don’t take things personally and I think there are a lot of hard conversations to have before we can see any real movement,” Wilkinson said. “I hope that they opt in to reaching out and including us as homelessness service providers in finding a solution that works for all of us. I think we can find a mutually beneficial solution.”

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 542. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net