INDIANAPOLIS — On July 25, the City of Indianapolis issued a notice to people living in an encampment on Leonard Street in Fountain Square to vacate the area by August 11th.
On Monday, WRTV spoke with one woman who has found housing for her and her family.
"We have incomes, and all we're asking is to get in a place to live," Angie Merrell said.
WRTV interviewed Merrell when we first learned of the notice. 10 days ago, in a tearful interview, Merrell shared her frustration.
"I mean, it's crazy, you know, and now they're going to post us saying that we have to be out of this site and we have nowhere to go. Oh, it's very hard and upsetting," Merrell said.
That day, Merrell told WRTV her husband was involved in an accident that changed their lives, after losing everything. Since February, Merrell, her husband, and her brother, who has stage 4 stomach cancer, have had to move into a tent in an encampment on Leonard Street in Fountain Square. When the city posted the notice to vacate the area, Merrell did not know what her next move would be.
"We don't want to be out here, you know, we just want a place to live," Merrell said.
Now Monday, those tears are filled with joy.
"It is happening. I got my apartment,” Merrell said.
With the help of the Home Initiative Program, or HIP, Merrell and her family will be signing a lease Tuesday for a two-bedroom apartment.
"It means a lot less stress, and we finally get into somewhere where I can be able to take my meds, take care of myself, you can take care of yourself better and my brother will be at peace in his own bed. And because we'll have hospice coming out," Merrell said.
Representatives from "HIP" came out to make sure people living in the encampment were in their system to connect them with resources to help.
"We'll help, you know, initiate that, but a lot of folks are just going to move to a different tent, a different camp," Kay Wiles, a representative for HIP.
As for Merrell and her family, they are ready to get home.
"His last dying wish is for us to be in an apartment before he goes,” said Merrell. "I've got everything packed up, everything ready to go. All you gotta do is take the tent down and we're out of here."
