The month of May reminds us why we continue to choose Indianapolis. Our city shines on an international stage as neighbors, visitors and businesses come together with pride to host the largest single-day sporting event in the world. During the Indy 500 and other similar moments, we are reminded of what this city can do when we move with shared purpose.
Imagine if we brought that same sense of collective action — and speed — to one of the most foundational issues facing our community: housing. Those who struggle to afford the rising cost of housing would have the support they needed to remain stable. The roughly 1,800 people who experience homelessness on any given night in Indianapolis would have a safe place to call home. Fewer families would be forced to choose between rent, food, health care and other necessities.
Affordable housing and homelessness are deeply connected. When people spend more than half of their income on housing, they face a heightened risk of losing that housing. Of the 170,000 Marion County renter households, a quarter of them — 43,000 households — spend at least half of their income on rent and utilities. Housing loss touches our schools, neighborhoods, workforce and health systems.
For 110 years, the Indianapolis Foundation has worked to make our home city a place where every resident has the opportunity to thrive — no matter their race, place or identity. We believe opportunity begins with meeting foundational human needs, and few needs are more essential than housing. That is why access to affordable housing is a central part of our five-year Equity 2030 plan, and we are acting with urgency.
The Indianapolis Foundation is fortunate to be part of a coalition of cross-sector partners working to help people experiencing homelessness secure housing and the wraparound support needed to remain housed. This nationally proven approach, known as Housing First, starts with the belief that people are better positioned to address life’s challenges when they first have the stability of a home.
We know this approach works. Since 2021, more than 470 people in Indianapolis have participated in this effort. Ninety-five percent of them have remained in stable housing for 12 months or longer, and 88% are receiving critical health care, such as behavioral health and primary care services. Those numbers show progress, but they do not tell the full story.
Earlier this month, two incredible people who have benefited directly from the Housing First approach shared their stories through an event called Speak Up! Indianapolis. They spoke about moving from homelessness into supportive housing and the experience of finding stability, dignity and the possibility of a different future. Their stories remind us that this work is not abstract. It is about seeing humanity in one another and refusing to accept that homelessness is inevitable.
Indianapolis is a unique city. We know how to gather. We know how to celebrate. We know how to take on big things.
The question is whether we will bring that same energy, focus and belief to the work of ensuring that every person has a place to call home. There is much that remains to be done, but change is possible when we work together, act boldly, and invest in strategies that are proven to work.
Ahmed Young is president and CEO of the Indianapolis Foundation.
