Homelessness panel prompts new questions, brainstorms solutions

INDIANAPOLIS — A Wednesday night panel was working to find solutions to homelessness across Indianapolis. City-County-Councilor Michael-Paul Hart (R) hosted it through his initiative Smart Indy — something he founded back in March as a way to track housing and homelessness.

“[We’re] trying to start brainstorming policy ideas that the council can then lead with so we’re not relying on what is ultimately always coming from the Mayor’s office,” Hart said.

Community members submitted questions ahead of the meeting that were then asked of a team of homelessness experts local to the area. After nearly two hours of discussion, no single solution was discussed, but several ideas were brought up as ways to tackle the issue.

It’s an issue that Johnnie Chavis has been living for six years. 

“They run us out, we go somewhere else [and] set up,” Chavis said.

Chavis lives on the near southeast side with about eight others. He said he landed there after leaving the Leonard Street encampment that was cleared away last month.

“Home sweet home,” Chavis said while looking at his blue and green tent.

Hart said he’s heard from community members that when one encampment closes, another seems to pop up in its place.

“We’ve seen a lot at Leonard Street, we’ve seen a lot behind the Walmart here in my district on Washington Street, you see it in Garfield Park, you see it on Pleasant Run, you see it all over the place,” Hart said.

Legislation, the pipeline from foster care to homelessness and evictions were all topics that were discussed at the panel, giving community members a chance to be part of the conversation.

“[Homelessness] was an issue when I first came here and it doesn’t seem to have gotten much better,” meeting attendee Joe Bursley said. “It just seems like something chronic.”

The general consensus from the panel: it’s going to take willingness from everyone to make a tangible change.

“It’s going to take collaboration not just in one sector but across multiple sectors,” panelist and CEO of Outreach Indiana Andrew Neal said. “It’s going to take government, it’s going to take social services, it’s going to take education, it’s going to take the business community.”

For people like Chavis, that collaboration can’t come soon enough. He said he’s been close to getting off the streets too many times to count.

“Just waiting on that opportunity,” Chavis said.