Annual homelessness count underway in Indianapolis

The annual survey of people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis kicked off Wednesday night. The Point in Time count records the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.

Last year Indianapolis found 1,701 people without housing, a five percent increase from the year before. The number of people who were unsheltered ticked down slightly.

Other trends have persisted in recent years including a disparity in the number of Black people experiencing homelessness and an increase in the number of families with unstable housing.

The count is led by the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, along with other partners. Volunteers spread out across the city to survey people in various locations including homeless service centers, libraries and encampments.

The count is federally mandated for municipalities that receive funding for programs.

Indianapolis experienced a spike in the number of people experiencing homelessness in 2021 when 1,928 people were recorded as unhoused.

Methodology for the count changed during the pandemic – it can now be facilitated over a number of days instead of a single night. People in Indianapolis will still be asked about their housing situation on the night of January 22.

The findings are usually released in the summer.

Contact WFYI Managing City Editor Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.