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As you drive past the person holding the sign “Hungry, anything helps” or see the bright colors of a tent trying to hide in plain sight, have you ever stopped to consider how many of us are just one emergency away from being there ourselves?
Based on 2025 Point in Time Count data, 745,652 people experienced homelessness in the United States last year, including 32,495 veterans. Closer to home, 6,675 Hoosiers experienced homelessness last year, including 343 veterans.
If we dig a little deeper, we see an increasing number of Americans and Hoosiers are dangerously close to being homeless.
According to USA Today, more than half of Americans are barely making ends meet, with 57% living paycheck to paycheck. And although many of us will face an unexpected expense this year, we are not prepared. The Federal Reserve estimates that nearly 40% of Americans could not pay an unexpected $400 expense, and 25% have no emergency savings at all.
So what are these unexpected expenses? A medical emergency, a broken-down car, death in the family, a lost job. Each of these have the potential to drive thousands of Americans from their homes as they are forced to make painful choices between paying for housing and other basic needs.
According to financial tech firm Self Financial, the average renter in Indiana with no savings is 118 days from being homeless. That’s less than four months away from losing everything and sleeping in a car, on our streets or in a shelter.
A veteran recently served by Helping Veterans and Families, Terri, faced this overwhelming reality. For Terri, the troubles began in what should have been a joyful time. A medical emergency arose, and complications in her pregnancy led to an emergency cesarean section and a two-month hospital stay. The aftermath was devastating. Terri lost her job and eventually her home.
“When I left the hospital, literally all I had was a car. Everything else was gone,” Terri said.
Terri is rebuilding her life at HVAF. After an emergency hotel stay to provide safe shelter for her and her young children, Terri moved into her own apartment and is now pursuing a career in IT, thanks to our VetWorks program.
As our government leaders and public policy advocates grapple with the best way to assist struggling Hoosiers, I ask for empathy and compassion. Investment in effective, proven solutions, like permanent housing with supportive services and more affordable housing units, would help ensure a safe path from homelessness to stability for Hoosiers.
Please remember, that person holding the sign or sleeping in a tent could very easily be you.•
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Hildebrand is CEO of HVAF of Indiana.
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