Indy homelessness providers delay winter plan, citing warmer weather patterns
Indianapolis won’t open up additional shelter space intended to house people during cold-weather months until Dec. 1 this year, a month later than usual.
Homeless shelters
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Indiana House committee votes to repeal downtown tax district, offers county-wide income tax as alternative
The Republican-controlled Indiana House Ways and Means Committee voted to advance a bill that would repeal the economic enhancement district that Democrat-controlled Indianapolis city government approved last month. The committee chairman offered a new Marion County income tax as an alternative.
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Bill aims to keep state from releasing non-resident prisoners in Indianapolis
House Bill 1087, authored by Rep. Justin Moed, D-Indianapolis, would require the Indiana Department of Correction—with some exceptions—to return offenders to the county where they lived when they were convicted.
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Tale of two downtowns: $9B set to be invested in projects, even as business district struggles with recovery
Many parts of downtown are thriving—particularly neighborhoods, where rents are rising, people have to stand in line for a lunch table, and investments are flowing. Other parts—especially downtown’s central core, where many workers might come to the office only once or twice a week—are limping along, pockmarked by vacant storefronts, panhandlers and crumbling sidewalks.
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Expanded women’s shelter to offer more beds, more dignity
Wheeler Mission is set to open an expanded center for homeless women and children that will nearly double the space for services, add 160 short- and long-term beds, and enhance programming.
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Articles
City hosts groundbreaking for low-barrier shelter expected to open in 2027
The project is being funded through a $12 million commitment from the city along with $20 million approved by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
City plans to use vacant west-side warehouse for winter homeless shelter
The city plans to lease a warehouse just east of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with capacity for up to 160 individuals.
18 residents of Fountain Square homeless camp housed via Streets to Home initiative, officials say
Additionally, some who had left the Leonard Street camp after initial closure notices and had relocated elsewhere in the neighborhood are also being connected to housing and services.
City reverses course, says Fountain Square homeless camp residents will be housed via new initiative
Streets to Home leaders said a recent 10-person pilot was successful and that stakeholders were able to “accelerate our timeline” to launch the program and get people from the Leonard Street camp housed.
Some say Fountain Square homeless camp closure conflicts with new housing push
Critics say closing the camp won’t be helpful to the Streets to Home program—an ambitious new cross-agency effort to house more than 300 people living on the city’s streets.
City, service providers to launch $8.1M initiative to house hundreds living on streets
Advocates hope the first phase of the initiative, called Streets to Home, will provide housing and wraparound services to some 300 residents by next year.
Residents, activists respond to Hogsett director pick with concerns about Indy’s winter shelter program
Guests who stayed in the city’s temporary winter shelter have spoken against Andrew Merkley’s nomination to head the Office of Public Health and Safety, arguing the shelter was unfit for families.
Senate axes public camping ban language, citing relevancy rule
Indiana’s proposed public camping ban, which originated with a Texas-based think tank, has now died twice this legislative session.
Indiana lawmakers revive controversial public camping ban
Language similar to House Bill 1662, which died earlier this legislative session, was amended into a seemingly unrelated bill, raising concerns from Democrats and advocates for the homeless.
House bill criticized as criminalizing homelessness will not advance
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, told reporters that lawmakers had good discussions on the bill, but it ultimately didn’t have the support it needed.
Public camping ban passes key legislative deadline despite law enforcement concerns
A lobbyist for the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association testified House Bill 1662 could put additional strain on already-crowded county jails.
Indiana lawmakers consider public camping ban
Opponents of the bill testified that the legislation, which mirrors legislation introduced in other states and can be traced to a Texas-based think tank, criminalizes homelessness.
Indianapolis conducts annual count of homeless population
Volunteers departed from the home base at Horizon House on East Washington Street to more than 300 locations where homeless individuals are likely to spend the night.
2024 Year in Review: Indy implements downtown tax
The economic enhancement district is projected to raise $4.65 million a year in taxes to pay for downtown-focused improvements and programs and fund the operating costs of a low-barrier homeless shelter planned on the southeast side of downtown.
Planned low-barrier homeless shelter raises hopes and concerns
The city is preparing to break ground in the next few months, but some housing-first advocates say the shelter doesn’t further the housing-first goal because it won’t include permanent-housing options.
States and localities face crossroad on homelessness policy
The city of Indianapolis says it has no plans to change the way it deals with homeless residents, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows cities to move, ticket or arrest people sleeping on the streets.
Supreme Court allows cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside
In a 6-3 decision, the high court reversed a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that found outdoor sleeping bans amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
After legislative changes earlier this year, what’s next for Indy’s downtown tax district?
Under the new law, owners of apartments and single-family homes are exempted from the tax unless they decide to opt in to paying the tax, leaving potential for a large decrease in available funds.
Record numbers in the U.S. are homeless. Can cities fine them for sleeping in parks and on sidewalks?
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will weigh whether punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking is unconstitutional.