Collective Action and Housing Advocacy in a Changing Landscape
Organizations addressing housing insecurity and homelessness across Indianapolis are preparing for significant challenges following the enactment of Indiana Senate Bill 285 on July 1, 2026. The legislation will increase pressure on already strained shelter, housing, and outreach systems while underscoring the importance of coordinated community responses.
According to Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, CEO at the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) Indianapolis, SB 285 creates a statewide law that makes it illegal to sleep or camp on public property after a warning and offer to connect to services or shelter. This shifts the response from a social service to a criminal justice system. Because there is already an insufficient availability of shelter and housing, the community’s most vulnerable will face citations and jail time – simply because they have nowhere else to go.
Increased Pressure on Housing Systems
“Because we don’t have resources to scale housing and services to meet the need and shelters are often at capacity or higher barrier, it will leave some of the most vulnerable at risk to legal system involvement, which does not solve someone’s homelessness,” Haring-Cozzi said. “In simple terms, without investment in high-quality services, mental and behavioral health, and housing, this law will increase strain on shelters, outreach systems, and jails- while making it harder for people experiencing homelessness to break the cycle and get back on their feet.”
This illustrates the critical nature of the work being done by the Faith & Action Project and its community partners working to address poverty. Housing insecurity and instability are often foundational drivers of poverty and barriers to long-term wellbeing. If you are not in a safe space, it is impossible to meet your other needs.
“Courts and jails are not the right places to help someone get stably housed and connected to care. Investment in housing and services would more effectively provide a pathway for someone to get off the streets,” Haring-Cozzi said.
Building Coordinated Community Responses
CHIP works closely with outreach teams, local government, healthcare providers, and service providers to further align efforts and strengthen coordination and expand pathways directly from the streets into housing and services. In fact, they work closely with many of the same organizations that the Faith & Action Project does – reinforcing the idea that the entire community must work together.
“We expect the law will increase demand for already limited shelter and housing resources, and it will require strong coordination and targeted investment to ensure people are connected to services rather than cycling through emergency rooms and jails,” Haring-Cozzi said.
CHIP is the lead agency in the Marion County Continuum of Care whose vision is to advance a shared vision to end homelessness by inspiring collective action and advocating for permanent housing solutions. They coordinated the homeless response system which includes outreach teams, shelters, housing providers, healthcare, and local government.
A Shared Vision for Housing Stability
“I firmly believe that our common ground is that nobody should be living or dying on our streets. The way we achieve this is through highly coordinated work, targeted investment in housing and services, better access to mental and behavioral health supports, and the continued political and civic will to do something together,” Haring-Cozzi said. “We can end street homelessness through real solutions if we come together and stay committed to a shared vision.”
