INDIANAPOLIS — A memorial service was held Tuesday on Monument Circle to honor dozens of people who experienced homelessness and died in Marion County over the last year.
The memorial was hosted by the Coalition for Homelessness in Intervention and Prevention.
Advocates read the names and lit a candle for each of the 166 people who were experiencing homelessness and died in 2021. In 2020, the number was 87.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said homelessness makes people more vulnerable to things like viruses, diseases, violence and hunger.
"That is why at this annual ceremony we don't just name those we've lost," Hogsett said. "We demonstrate the power of community around this issue."
According to CHIP, more than 1,100 people have experienced homelessness and died in Marion County since 1996.
Grief support resources were also shared with the crowd at the memorial.
