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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has uncovered details about the City of South Bend’s continued secret push to expand the failed low-barrier homeless initiative, Motels4Now. Despite recently spending hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing a plot of land from the South Bend Community School Corporation for an expansion of the homeless shelter off of Bendix Drive just north of the SBCSC’s school bus garage, the city is now secretly offering $275,000 for another property off of Old Cleveland Road.
RNM has received a letter that was hand delivered to the owners of the property early last month. RNM has confirmed through sources the city wishes to purchase the land as part of the Motels4Now expansion.
Sources are also telling RNM that the city is looking at discreetly buying up property in River Park area, near Mishawaka for the program as well. RNM is still working on confirming those details.
A FAILED PROGRAM
The Motels4Now program has been an unmitigated disaster, with dozens of deaths, rampant crime and has become a destination for several out-of-town sex offenders. A REAL News Michiana investigation last month confirmed at least 28 people associated with Motels4Now homeless shelter have died since the program began in mid-2020. While a total of seven people died from drug overdoses ON PROPERTY, another 21 people associated with the program located at the old Knights Inn on Lincoln Way West died at the hospital or somewhere else off property.
The number of deaths for the young program is simply staggering. Motels4Now reports the program has successfully helped 120 people move to permanent housing since starting operations. It’s unclear if any of the 28 deaths are included in those numbers. However, assuming the 28 deaths AREN’T included in the “success” numbers, it would be mean nearly 20% of all people leaving Motels4Now have died. To put it into perspective, that survival rate is the same as a crew member of a US Army Tank during WWII.
REAL News Michiana was able to confirm the number of deaths associated with the program through Coroner Office records and apparent records kept by the director of Motels4Now, Sheila McCarthy. It turns out, McCarthy keeps a painting in her office as a memorial to all of the residents of Motels4Now who have died. The painting consists of a collage of angels with names and dates of deaths. Everytime a resident dies, she adds a new angel. According to the painting, it appears a resident dog also died on property. The picture below was taken and published in the South Bend Tribune in July of 2023. Since then, RNM has confirmed two more people have died on property.
DRUG OVERDOSES
While Motels4Now Director Sheila McCarthy has claimed only five “clients” have died from overdoses, she failed to mention a visitor to the homeless shelter and a man who “graduated” from the program. Below is a breakdown of those who died from drug overdoses as a result of the failed Motels4Now program.
Mac. A. Nelson, 42, died from a Fentanyl and Methamphetamine overdose on 7/15/2020.
Travis Nelson, 26, died from a Fentanyl overdose on 3/31/2021.
Prentiss M. Wright, 52, died from a Fentanyl and Cocaine overdose on 10/10/2021.
Kevin Taylor, 58, died from a Cocaine overdose on 01/29/23.
Timothy Dooley, 63, died from a suspected Cocaine overdose on 02/18/23. Dooley had “graduated” from the Motels4Now program and was living in another transitional housing facility called the Catherine Griffin House.
Amy Marie Young, 42, died from a Fentanyl and Methamphetamine overdose on 5/7/2023. Young was found dead on the property but did not live there and appears to have either been visiting a friend or went to Motels4Now to purchase the drugs that killed her.
Nathan Lewis, 46, died from a Fentanyl overdose on 9/22/23.
HOTBED FOR CRIME
In January of last year, an RNM investigation uncovered major crime and drug problems with the Motels4Now program. A public records request by REAL News Michiana discovered the “low-barrier” facility has been the scene of countless drug overdoses, thefts and batteries, while purporting to be helping those most in need in our community. Records show more than 1,300 calls for service to the location since opening in the middle of 2020. Several businesses have also closed down or moved because of the issues brought by the program — including a McDonalds.
In 2022 alone, police were called to the Motels4Now property for the following crimes:
Assault: 17 Calls
Theft: 15 Calls
Disturbance: 15 Calls
Overdose: 14 Calls
Threat: 10 Calls
Suspicious Activity: 8 Calls
Fighting: 4 Calls
Burglary: 3 Calls
Weapons: 3 Calls
Shots Fired: 3 Calls
Harassment: 3 Calls
Vandalism: 2 Calls
Stabbing: 1 Call
Sex Assault: 1 Call
Drugs: 1 Call
The criminal impact just off the property has also been of major concern. Last year, RNM published a story about a single mother having to hold one man from the facility at gunpoint when he attempted to break into her home.
In a typical circumstance, a property like this would be considered a “nuisance property” facing several costly fines with the potential of being shut down. Motels4Now has received no such citations.
HOUSING OUT-OF-TOWN SEX OFFENDERS
A REAL News Michiana investigation earlier this year also discovered the embattled Motels4Now homeless initiative is currently housing six sex offenders well within 1,000 feet of a large daycare facility, which is a violation of Indiana law. The program also employs another convicted sex offender.
According to a simple satellite search, the Motels4Now property is within 500 feet of the Raising Kings and Queens Daycare Ministry. It is also within 650 feet of St. John the Baptist Catholic School.
According to the Indiana Sex Offender Registry, one sex offender is from Allen County, one is from Michigan and two are from Elkhart County. Three of the sex offender residents at Motels4Now are from St. Joseph County. REAL News Michiana has put together a photo gallery of all of the sex offenders, the sex crimes they were convicted of and where their conviction occurred.
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