Bloomington Council
2025 Budget Priorities

Low-income housing, support to decrease homelessness among council’s goals.

In a letter to Mayor Kerry Thomson, Bloomington City Council outlined their priorities for the city’s 2025 budget, including two priorities that directly relate to housing and homelessness.

The council will hear from city departments about budget requests during the week of Aug. 26, Monday through Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. each night at city hall council chambers, 401 N. Morton. Meetings to consider budget-related legislation will be on Sept. 25 and Oct. 9, at the same location starting at 6:30 p.m.

The council’s budget priorities include:

Objective: To increase safe housing options for all city residents, especially those in low-income households.

  1. Identify and increase structural and financial support for housing for households earning 60-120% of AMI, which has been identified as a gap in housing affordability.
  2. Develop concrete plans for more affordable housing in Hopewell and other developing neighborhoods using land trusts, cooperative housing, and other innovative strategies.
  3. Explore and implement new ways to support the Bloomington Housing Authority.

Objective: To reduce homelessness and its causes while simultaneously addressing immediate needs of unhoused people in our community.

  1. Fund one or more safe temporary housing options other than overnight shelters, such as safe parking area(s), designated camping area(s), or Single-Room Occupancy building(s), including any associated staffing needs.
  2. Increase Jack Hopkins Social Service funding and explore integrating the funding application processes for the JHSSF with the CDBG process.
  3. Expand the city’s partnership with Centerstone for supportive employment.
  4. Develop strategic, collaborative programs with county government and social service agencies to address mental health and substance use disorder challenges.
  5. Continue support for the Heading Home program.

Read the council’s full letter here.

Bloomington council will also hold a consensus-building activity focused on street homelessness. That session is on Wednesday, Aug. 14 and starts at 6:30 p.m. at city hall, 401 N. Morton.