People of Housing Security:
Bobbie Summers

Bobbie Summers can point to a core belief that informs her work: “You have to look at things always in context. You can’t pull out one piece of something and have an answer to a social problem.” She brings that perspective to her job as assistance coordinator for the Richland Township Trustee’s Office, which covers Ellettsville, the second largest city in Monroe County.

The “always in context” ethos crystallized during her studies in early childhood education at Indiana University in the 1970s. It continued when she partnered with Toby Strout, former director of Middle Way House, to create that nonprofit’s first children’s program. Working at Middle Way – which serves survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking – was Bobbie’s initial step into the social services field.

She worked at Middle Way managing several different programs over the years before deciding that “I’m happiest in direct service, working with people one-on-one. I do think you change things one person at a time.”

She started working at Richland Township in 2011 when the current township trustee, Marty Stephens, first took office. A few years into that tenure she was recruited by Caregiver Homes, an organization that provides support for people that care for family members who would otherwise be in a nursing home. “I was so deep into rural areas and saw that the farther away you get from cities, how incredibly compromised life can be if you have no resources,” Bobbie said.

She enjoyed her work as a case manager for Caregiver Homes but grew tired of the travel it involved. So when Richland Township reached out to ask if she’d return, she said yes, rejoining the trustee’s office in January 2022.

When a township resident comes to the trustee in need of help with rent, utility payments or other challenges, they talk with Bobbie. She reviews their situation, helps them apply for assistance, and presents this information to the trustee, who decides what kind of assistance to give. Bobbie also directs them to additional resources, if needed, as well as help with things like finding a job. “Often issues are muddy,” she said. “It’s never one issue.”

Frequently people are very embarrassed when they come for help, Bobbie said. “I always say to them: You worked. You paid your taxes. And your taxes helped support somebody in a crisis. And now somebody else is doing that for you and there’s nothing wrong with that – we’re helping each other. Getting past not feeling humiliated is really important, I think.”

“You have to work with people where they are. You can’t make assumptions.

Part of her job involves being a good listener. “You have to work with people where they are,” Bobbie explained. “You can’t make assumptions. If you’re not really hearing them and learning from them, you’re not going to be effective in doing anything for them. You have to be listening, not assuming – ever.”

A lot of people who come for help are young families, Bobbie said, and increasing rents are often a factor. “It takes no time at all until you have astronomical debt when rents are as high as they are.” And if residents have any kind of emergency or change in their household’s status – a new child, the loss of a job, a medical emergency – they quickly can end up owing thousands of dollars.

Bobbie also notes that while many landlords take pride in maintaining their properties in good condition, she’s keenly aware that some residents live in subpar housing because they have no other options in the price range they can afford.

Other contributing challenges are a lack of adequate transportation. “Everything pivots on that,” Bobbie noted, especially employment opportunities. The Ellettsville area needs reliable public transit , she said – ideally a fixed route that’s connected to transit in the broader region so that residents can reach major employers like Cook Medical.

Bobbie lives in Bloomington with her two dogs, Baxter and Maddox. When she’s not at work, she enjoys gardening and spending as much time as she can with her grandkids and great grandkids. “I’ve always been very independent, a real feminist,” Bobbie noted. “But I am lock, stock and barrel a grandmother.”

Note: This series highlights the work of those committed to improving the lives of residents in South Central Indiana. Find all the articles in this series here.