New Initiative to Address Unsheltered Homelessness

Heading Home of South Central Indiana announced the launch of Streets to Stability, a collaborative initiative designed to accelerate progress toward reducing unsheltered homelessness in South Central Indiana, starting in Bloomington and Monroe County.

The initiative builds on existing efforts, uniting partners across the homeless response system, government, business, philanthropy, healthcare and faith communities around a shared approach: connecting people living outdoors to permanent housing and supportive services while addressing outside sleeping in a coordinated and humane way.

Read the Streets to Stability press release here.

“This initiative builds on years of collaboration among organizations across our community that are committed to ending homelessness,” said Mary Morgan, Executive Director of Heading Home of South Central Indiana. “No single organization can solve homelessness alone, but by coordinating our efforts and focusing on housing as the solution, we can create a more effective, compassionate response that helps people regain stability while improving the quality of life for everyone in our community.”

Over time, Streets to Stability is intended to serve as a regional model, supporting efforts to address unsheltered homelessness in communities across South Central Indiana.

About the Initiative

Streets to Stability is based on a nationally tested Direct-to-Housing Encampment Response model developed by Clutch Consulting that enables communities to resolve unsheltered homelessness using an intensely collaborative approach. The model focuses resources on one encampment or zone at a time through a coordinated four- to six-week process. Participants are connected to long-term housing, a year-long rental subsidy, and individualized support services designed to help them achieve stability and maintain housing.

After all residents have been offered pathways to housing and services, encampments or zones are closed and restored to prevent re-encampment and to return public spaces to broader community use.

The initiative expands coordination among organizations and sectors already working to address homelessness in Bloomington and Monroe County. A cross-sector leadership team guiding the initiative’s development includes Mary Morgan, Heading Home Executive Director; Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson; Monroe County Commissioner Jody Madeira; Monroe County Councilor Trent Deckard; Bloomington Township Trustee Efrat Rosser; Emily Pike, chair of the South Central Housing Network and Executive Director of New Hope for Families; Tina Peterson, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County; Brianna Solola, IU Health South Region Chief of Staff; and Eric Spoonmore, President and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

A new state law taking effect July 1, 2026 adds urgency to this long-standing challenge by prohibiting camping on public property. People sleeping outside will be given a 48-hour notice to relocate or risk incarceration. The new law may also result in criminal penalties, compounding existing challenges to obtaining housing. Criminal records, court fees, and fines can create lasting barriers to housing access and economic stability.

Read the Streets to Stability press release here.

The following photos are from a two-day workshop held on June 8-9, 2026 about the direct-to-housing model that was hosted by Heading Home and facilitated by Clutch Consulting and Community Solutions staff.

For more information, contact Heading Home Executive Director Mary Morgan at mary@headinghomeindiana.org.