INDIANAPOLIS — Monday night, Wheeler Mission says it housed 814 people, including its locations in Bloomington, but just in Indianapolis, they helped house more than 650 people.
According to Wheeler Mission's Brian Crispin, the men's shelter has 258 beds available, but they often have more bodies than beds. For example, the mission housed 332 men Monday night, which caused 74 men to grab a mat and pick a place on the floor to sleep for the night.
At the women's shelter, Crispin said they have 209 beds available, but as with the men's facility, the need for a place to sleep usually exceeds that.
"Families will typically go to our women's shelter. Our units for families are typically full. So when it comes to families, you're talking four or six or eight people in a group of family and kids, and we have a capacity limit when it comes to families, so there is a need in this community for people to step into that space and take in those families," said Crispin.
In the summer months, it doesn't come as a surprise seeing people sleeping in the park or benches. But as soon as cold temperatures move in, Crispin said some of the 1,700 unhoused people in Indianapolis come seeking a warm place to stay.
"People that are staying under bridges, those that are staying out in some of these camps you'll see, that's just not possible. It's life or death outside and so they need to get inside, they need that warmth or else they literally may not survive the night. So especially when it's snowy and rainy, when it's wet, people come inside even more so," Crispin said.
Members of Indianapolis' City-County Council on Monday voted to allocate funds for a low-barrier homeless shelter.
"It is a critical step, so it really is the difference between our ability to fund the shelter and the housing hub and the co-located services and really build the low-barrier shelter that our community desperately needs to fill in the gap," said Aryn Schounce, senior policy advisor for Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
The shelter project is expected to cost $32 million and, according to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, will open 150 additional beds for those in need.
It's something Crispin welcomes.
"Piece by piece, when we're all working together, people can be served," he said.
Construction on the low-barrier shelter is expected to be completed in 2026 with the facility opening in 2027 on East Georgia Street near Fountain Square.
Not only did Wheeler Mission house more than 800 people experiencing homelessness Monday, they also served about 1,300 meals that day.
Crispin said donations are welcomed.