• My administration, I, are feeling more emboldened than ever before to arrive at a comprehensive solution for our neighbors.

  • This film also demonstrates to me that what has proven successful in other cities like Milwaukee, like Houston is political will and leadership. Political will and leadership that will help ensure that homelessness is brief, rare, and non-reoccurring. And I recognize that as mayor of this great community, this great city, that will and leadership fall, in no small measure on me. So, I want to make it abundantly clear that I am continuing my commitment to Housing First and I am answering the call.

  • This will require a well-coordinated system of agencies, funders and key stakeholders who are unified under the same vision with Housing First acting as our north star, and with all parties committed to achieving the same goal.

  • I have been told by the experts that we cannot shelter our way out of homelessness nor can we service provide our way out of homelessness. Fines and criminalization do not remedy the root causes of homelessness, they only seem to further exacerbate the detrimental impacts of living unsheltered.

  • The solution is housing. And I'm calling on you to bring your resources, your expertise and your influence to that table. You can be sure. I will be bringing mine. Because what the experts have also told me is that homelessness is solvable in Indianapolis. Now!

  • But this issue Is only solvable If we act with urgency, vision, alignment and accountability.

Mayor Joe Hogsett made these statements and commitments at the first movie screening at Clowes Hall. Let’s encourage him to stay the course with a sense of urgency for our unhoused neighbors.

Watch Mayor Hogsett’s full speech here

We need the city to do the following:

  • Assemble a meeting with all the stakeholders, including influential business executives, health system leaders, city leaders, key service providers, and funders- all in one room - and let everyone know the status quo isn’t working. No entity can solve the problem alone. We cannot fine or arrest our way out of homelessness. We cannot shelter our way ouf of homelessness. We cannot service provide our way out of homelessness. We must collaborate as a community to solve homelessness, and the folks in the room have a role to play. The solution is housing, and you are calling on them to bring their resources, expertise, and influence to the table.

  • Mandate a new working group to identify the holes in the current system, how to fix them, and what resources are needed. This working group must consist of service providers, law enforcement, healthcare, and city administrators. The group must meet weekly with regular briefings to your office. This has begun as the Mayor’s Leadership Council on Homelessness which meets for the first time October 1.

  • Identify a single person in your administration or in the system to be responsible for overseeing this effort and ensuring accountability. Ensure that the person has the authority to push, adjust resources, and activate other leaders and key stakeholders.

  • Commit to bringing the full influence and authority of your office to make this happen. Emphasis that there will be resources and there will be accountability!

  • Communicate that a better, more coordinated system will be created. This means that some orgs will be asked to modify what they currently do, and some may morph into something completely different to better serve the system and to align to Housing First. If the new system asks for this from your organization, the system will support you in this transition.

  • Most importantly, communicate that this is solvable in Indianapolis. It absolutely is, BUT it is only solvable if we act with urgency, vision, alignment, and accountability. You expect nothing less and will be our champion because we are commanded to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”

    The vision:

    We must end chronic homelessness through Housing First, and we must eliminate racial disparities in homelessness. This means achieving the CoC goal to reduce Black homelessness by 35% by 2025.

Let Mayor Hogsett know this is important to you and you support the efforts to end homelessness in Indianapolis using Housing First.