Indianapolis expands Streets to Home to house unsheltered residents as Indiana’s statewide public camping ban nears

A faster street-to-housing model emerges amid rising unsheltered homelessness

Indianapolis officials and homeless-service leaders say a revamped, housing-focused strategy is moving people indoors more quickly as the city confronts an uptick in unsheltered homelessness and prepares for a major shift in state policy.

The initiative, known as Streets to Home Indy, is designed to move people living outdoors directly into housing and connect them to ongoing supports. Program leaders reported that, as of March 3, 2026, 114 people had been placed into housing and linked to services that can include health care, mental health appointments, and case management. The figure reflects roughly six months of work since the program’s launch.

What the program is doing differently

Streets to Home Indy operates as a coordinated street-to-housing response that pairs intensive outreach with housing navigation, unit acquisition, and follow-on support. The model emphasizes shortening the time between first contact and placement, with program materials describing a multiweek process intended to move people from encampments or street locations into stable housing.

Leaders have also framed the work around closing encampments while prioritizing housing placement. The city’s latest point-in-time count recorded 1,815 people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis, up from 1,701 in 2024 and among the highest annual totals of the past decade.

• 114 people housed and connected to services as of March 3, 2026
• 1,815 people counted as experiencing homelessness in the most recent point-in-time tally
• Program goal described publicly as ending chronic and unsheltered homelessness in Indianapolis by 2028

Funding and capacity pressures

Program leaders have said additional funding is still needed to meet near-term goals, including sustaining outreach teams, securing units, and providing ongoing services once people are housed. The effort has been described as a public-private partnership, with the early phase supported by multimillion-dollar local funding commitments and a remaining gap identified for upcoming milestones.

City leaders have also budgeted for related homelessness initiatives, including strategies aimed at expanding access to housing through mechanisms such as master leasing, which can help match available apartments to residents who otherwise would face barriers to signing a lease.

New state law adds urgency ahead of July 1, 2026

The program’s expansion comes as Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 285 takes effect July 1, 2026. The law prohibits unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long-term sheltering on public property statewide, while allowing exceptions where local ordinances authorize designated areas. The statute outlines an enforcement process that includes law enforcement engagement and referrals, and it has intensified debate over how best to respond to people living outdoors.

Program leaders have characterized the coming policy change as a reason to accelerate housing placements and strengthen pathways into care.

For Indianapolis, the next months will test whether a faster street-to-housing pipeline, backed by sufficient units and services, can keep pace with need as enforcement rules change across the state.