Bloomington, Indiana – On Wednesday night, Bloomington City Council heard a presentation from Heading Home of South Central Indiana regarding their initiatives to end homelessness.
“Certainly, this issue is central to the work we do as elected officials,” Council Vice President Sue Sgambelluri said.
Weekly shelter check-ins, eviction avoidance, landlord risk mitigation, and a potential community loan center are some of the programs that were proposed to City Council.
According to Mary Morgan, director of housing security, the first program to be unveiled was Built for Zero, a national network of more than 100 communities that promotes a data-centered strategy to prevent homelessness.
Ending veteran homelessness is Built for Zero’s primary objective. According to their website, this has previously been accomplished in other cities. According to Morgan, the South Central region of the state is the first to join the Built for Zero initiative.
In comparison to the rural counties around, Bloomington is renowned throughout Indiana for having a large number of resources for those who are homeless. 20 groups that offer support are listed on a map on the city website.
In order to spot and foresee emerging issues and patterns in the unhoused community, Heading Home has been conducting weekly shelter check-ins in Monroe County.
The company is creating a computer that keeps track of neighborhood eviction court cases. Volunteers for the program will attend eviction court sessions and record demographic data and case outcomes.
They also plan to work with landlords to expand housing opportunities for low-income residents. According to a Shalom Center report, homelessness in Bloomington has increased from 200 people in 2009 to 380 people in 2019.
Some classes at IU have partnered with Heading Home to find funding for these projects. Students assist with grant writing and economic development research, Morgan said.
Plans are being made to create a community loan center as an alternative to predatory lenders, Morgan said. Heading Home is also searching for a financial partner to back the project.
