(La Porte, IN) - A lawsuit is potentially in the works to try and stop plans to provide housing for homeless people with mental health issues, among others.

 

Recently, the La Porte City Council approved a zoning change that opened the door for Housing Opportunities, an organization that provides housing to destitute individuals and has other facilities in La Porte and Porter counties, to move forward on plans to create 16 housing units in the former Coca Cola bottling plant in the 200 block of Rumely Street.

 

Last night, Aurelio Melgoza of 204 North Street told the City Council that over 500 residents in that neighborhood have pledged, in writing, to contribute $1,000 apiece to help residents should anything bad happen to them as a result of someone living at the proposed housing facility.

 

“We will not live in fear,” he said.

 

Melgoza said residents in the neighborhood are also willing to file a lawsuit naming each member of the City Council as defendants in an attempt to try and stop the development.

 

“I suggest everyone rethink and ask if it is worth it,” he said.

 

Under the plans, housing applicants would have to be homeless, have some sort of confirmed physical or mental health disability, or be a substance abuser.

 

Melgoza and another neighborhood resident, Richard Horner, mentioned a murder in 2017 at a Housing Opportunities residence in Michigan City to underscore their argument.

 

Charges were just recently filed against the once-homeless suspect, John Hallett, 54, who allegedly told police that he choked his roommate to death and allowed his body to remain on the basement floor for nearly two months, before dismembering and and disposing of its parts in municipal trash cans.

 

“There are a lot of children in our neighborhood, many of whom are young girls, who walk to school.  Do you really want to expose them to these additional risks,” Horner questioned.

 

Resident Linda Dilks said she was a director of a facility serving low-income and homeless people with similar issues in South Bend, and that such housing should not be in a residential area.

 

“Somebody is going to get hurt,” she said.

 

Dilks said she already feels unsafe in her neighborhood and doesn’t want to feel even more unsafe.

 

“I carry mace outside with me to let the dog out at night because we are not safe now.   This is going to increase when you put people with substance abuse and mental health problems in that facility. I do know what I’m talking about,” she said.

 

Mayor Tom Dermody seemed unfazed by the latest expression of concerns from the residents, who also said they feel insulted and betrayed by their elected officials.

 

Dermody said Housing Opportunities has helped thousands of people by providing them with affordable housing, and also previously expressed there's a need locally for such housing. 

 

“We will not turn our backs on those individuals and we have people sitting in this room right now that have been supportive of not turning their backs on affordable housing.  We will not turn our backs,” he said.

 

Dilks pointed out the facility will not be for people who are simply down on their luck.

 

“I am not against housing people who need housing. What I am against is the type of people they are going to put in that housing,” she said.