The City of Indianapolis has partnered with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Aspire Indiana Health to approve the former IPS School 68 building as a contingency site to shelter families in need during the winter months.
The overflow site is part of a Winter Contingency Plan spearheaded by the city, the Office of Public Health and Safety and its community partners.
As temperatures drop, the contingency site is part of an intensification of efforts to provide safe and warm spaces for residents experiencing homelessness.
The city aims to have the shelter site operational by Dec. 15. The facility is expected to accommodate 34 to 40 families of four, with provisions to support larger families as needed.
Until the site is completed, the Mayor’s Office of Public Health and Safety and HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program are assisting families with alternative shelter solutions.
Families may contact the Mayor’s Action Center during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is closed on Thursdays from 2-3 p.m.
Families may also contact Indiana 211 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents who encounter someone in need of shelter are encouraged to call the Mayor’s Action Center, Indiana 211 or utilize the Indy Cares app to connect individuals with resources.
This year’s planning efforts were made possible through partnerships with the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, Wheeler Mission, HealthNet, United Way of Central Indiana, IPS, Aspire Health Indiana, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Home of Hope, St. Vincent De Paul and more.
This year’s contingency plan was funded through the support of the Lilly Endowment, the City of Indianapolis, The Indianapolis Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana and the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.
For more information about the contingency plan, visit chipindy.org.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
