Indianapolis OPHS aims to have Fountain Square homeless encampment cleared out by Sept. 18

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety is aiming to officially clear out a homeless encampment in Fountain Square by Sept. 18.

A notice obtained by FOX59/CB4 and authenticated by OPHS confirms the date in which City officials hope to have the encampment cleared by. Previous reporting

confirms the camp was formally closed on Aug. 11.

Since then, OPHS has been working to rehouse the individuals who were living in the Leonard Street encampment. The rehousing effort is part of the agency’s “Streets to Home Indy” program.

According to a previous report, a Streets to Home Indy pilot resulted in the rehousing of 10 homeless individuals. After the pilot was successfully completed, OPHS directed those in charge of the Streets to Home Indy program to set their sites on the Fountain Square encampment.

While some Fountain Square residents initially hoped that the encampment’s Aug. 11 closure would result in a complete clearing of the site, OPHS later confirmed that it would be deploying its Streets to Home Indy program to gradually rehouse the individuals living in tents on Leonard Street, rather than forcing them out on a deadline. In a statement sent to FOX59/CBS4, OPHS indicated that the process of rehousing those living in the encampment on Leonard Street would take four to six weeks.

FOX59/CBS4’s first report on the OPHS order to close the encampment was published on July 25 — about seven weeks ago. The Aug. 11 closure of the camp marked the date in which City officials were to ensure no additional camps are established in the area as OPHS works to rehouse the individuals living there.

Streets to Home Indy was launched in June with the goal of ending “chronic and unsheltered homelessness in Indianapolis by 2028.” The program’s initial goal was to provide services to about 350 unsheltered individuals and prevent future instances of homelessness.

The latest OPHS notice on the encampment indicates Streets to Home Indy will continue working with individuals living in the Leonard Street encampment until the established Sept. 18 date. After that, unhoused individuals will be prohibited from camping at the site.

The OPHS notice also says unaccompanied items left behind in the area will be subject to removal. Removed items may be discarded if they are determined to be trash or abandoned property by the City.

OPHS is encouraging those with questions on its latest notice to contact the IMPD Homeless Unit at (317) 327-6506.

On Sept. 8, FOX59/CBS4 reported that a Fountain Square resident had filed a Verified Petition for Judicial Review, asking Indiana’s legal system to force the City of Indianapolis to close the encampment.

It is currently unclear exactly how many individuals are still living at the Leonard Street homeless encampment. It is also unknown if the City will consider closing the site without rehousing all the people who live there.