INDIANAPOLIS — In less than two weeks, dozens of unhoused residents living at a camp near Lenord Street in Fountain Square will be forced to leave.
It's a move prompted by what city officials cite as safety concerns and planned development in the area.
For people like Angela Merrill, it’s not just a notice.
“I don’t know what to do because I don’t want him dying in a tent,” Merrill told WRTV. “I hope something gives soon.”
Merrill has lived in Fountain Square all her life. Now, she’s staying in a tent with her husband and her brother Travis, who has stomach cancer and refuses to leave her side. She says finding housing has been nearly impossible due to income requirements she can’t meet.
“They need three or four times the income we have,” she said.
While the city posted notice of the camp’s closure earlier this month, some residents say they were initially promised assessments and help finding housing, a promise they feel has fallen short.
“They said they were going to come out and assess people, try to get them housing,” Merrill said. “Then they put up papers that we have to go by August 11.”
In a statement, city officials emphasized that outreach teams have been actively encouraging individuals in the encampment to move into available shelters, such as Wheeler Mission.
“Our outreach teams should be advising those in the encampment to go into existing shelters rather than being outside,” said Brian Heinemann.
The Office of Public Health and Safety says it is continuing to work with partners to rapidly house unsheltered individuals through ongoing initiatives, including Streets to Home Indy, St. George Bridge Housing and a pilot Master Leasing program.
According to the city, Streets to Home is led by the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), advised by Clutch Consulting.
The program was developed through the Mayor’s Leadership Council on Homelessness, chaired by Mayor Joe Hogsett and involving multiple stakeholders who meet bi-weekly to coordinate services and funding.
Officials also confirmed they are committing additional funds to support Streets to Home Indy as it scales.
Faith leaders and outreach workers say they’ve been trying to help residents, but the timeline is too short.
“You’re not solving the problem...you’re moving a problem,” said Rev. David Greene with the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis.
Greene, a key advocate for Streets to Home, says the initiative has already placed 12 people in permanent housing, but more time and coordination are needed to assist the remaining individuals.
“We see this as a solution, but we just need more time,” he said.
HealthNet outreach workers have also been at the site offering services. Kay Wiles, with the HealthNet Homeless Initiative Program, said the team is doing what they can under pressure.
“We want to make sure that the kind, decent people who are out here get the help they need,” Wiles said.
With triple-digit temperatures forecast for early August and multiple camps across the city also being cleared, advocates warn that the urgency is only growing.
“We really have nowhere else to go,” Merrill said. “They’re closing down all the other campsites too.”
WRTV will continue to follow this story and provide updates on housing solutions, city funding, and community response.
