State, local policies needed to remedy homelessness
As housing prices increase for both buyers and renters, more Hoosiers are getting squeezed out of the market and families are pushed toward homelessness. But researchers argue the state could take steps to help its most vulnerable Hoosiers.
This year’s point-in-time count in Indianapolis reported an overall decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness. But for those under the age of 24, whether in a family or not, homelessness continued to increase over pre-pandemic figures.
Bow’s team compiled a paper comparing Indianapolis’ homelessness with five other similar–sized cities: Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Nashville Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida. Generally, Indianapolis fell in the middle for the number of people experiencing homelessness and its homelessness per capita rate in comparison to its peers.
But contrary to Indianapolis’ peak during COVID-19, other cities saw a sustained decrease in homelessness throughout. Bow credited this difference to “smart spending of federal dollars” distributed during the pandemic.
Though Indianapolis is just 1.6 times larger than Milwaukee, its homeless population is 2.4 times larger, and 15.5 times more people live unsheltered.
“The decisions that you make at the state level or at the city level can make a huge difference,” Bow said.
Milwaukee deploys a “housing-first” model, which prioritizes getting someone housed rather than requiring someone be sober or have a job first. Once housed, social workers can more easily connect them to resources such as job fairs, drug counseling and social services.
Read the full article https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2022/08/19/state-local-policies-needed-to-remedy-homelessness
