INDIANAPOLIS — At least 475 people in Indianapolis go to sleep every night in their cars, according to a report from Safe Park Indy.
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Founder Elizabeth Friedland says while there is no official count, those numbers could be closer to the thousands.
“For people who are homeless and living in their cars right now, it’s really tough. They’re driving around all night, they’re pulling over on side streets. Maybe they’re parking in a big box parking lot. It’s not often legal, and it’s not very safe," Friedland said.
When we think of homelessness, often what comes to mind is people living on the streets or in shelters.
Friedland says those living in their cars often go unnoticed.
“We work with faith-based organizations that have empty parking lots overnight, and we use those lots usually from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next morning. That’s where clients can park and have a safe, legal place to rest," she said.
WRTV first reported on Safe Park Indy when it launched in 2024.
Safe Park Indy is the state’s first and only formal safe parking program.
After a year hiatus to refine their approach, the program is relaunching and welcoming clients to their new lot on June 1.
“We re-engineered the model so that it was more effective, more efficient, less labor-intensive. Now we’re really excited to relaunch," Friedland said.
The City of Indianapolis’ community-wide model for ending unsheltered homelessness, Streets to Home Indy, is currently underway.
Its first phase is focused on getting roughly 300 to 350 people off the streets and into housing, as well as permanently closing encampments.
“[We are] working with an urgency to make sure that we are rapidly housing people off our streets and getting them into a place of stability," Chelsea Haring-Cozzi with the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention said at a press conference earlier this month.
Safe Park Indy is not a long-term solution like Streets to Home.
Friedland says it’s meant to be an emergency Band-Aid for those in a crisis situation.
“We’re there to help them through those hopefully few months while they’re between. And then they can access these programs that can get them housed more appropriately and suitably," she said.
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Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
