COLUMBUS, Ind. – The United Way of Bartholomew County has announced that, due to a coordinated, community-wide effort, more people in Bartholomew County now have stable homes, and dozens more have avoided homelessness.
The Homelessness Initiative is a partnership among United Way of Bartholomew County, the City of Columbus, and other community organizations in United Way’s social service network. Together, these partners have helped 82 previously unhoused individuals secure stable housing and have prevented homelessness for an additional 67 people in Columbus.
These results come from a strategic approach that leverages the full strength of the county’s social service delivery system and the work and collaboration of the City of Columbus. The homelessness initiative follows a four-step strategy that is currently in Step 2.
First, last year’s community listening sessions brought together residents, service providers, and those with firsthand experience of homelessness to create a shared understanding of the challenges the community faces. Now, the focus is on improving the system by making it easier for people to get the help they need quickly and efficiently.
As part of Step 2, over the last year, United Way had a case worker do outreach with the homeless community. Additionally, the City of Columbus has created a Homeless Task Force that includes representatives from Parks and Recreation, Police, Community Development, and Code Enforcement.
The Columbus Police Department has a police officer serving as a homeless liaison, and United Way has invested around $75,000 from its United Way Statewide Capital Fund in Centerstone’s Engagement Center, a local resource hub for people experiencing homelessness.
As an additional outreach measure, signs will be placed along the People Trail and in public parks encouraging those without stable housing to connect with available support services.
The homelessness initiative continues to advance across three core strategies: prevention, response, and affordable housing. To prevent homelessness, the team is developing local solutions like tenant education, rental assistance, and early interventions to avoid homelessness.
Those who need assistance can call 812-344-7004. To get involved or for more details about United Way’s homelessness initiative, click here.
