INDIANAPOLIS — The cost of the most basic necessity remains too high for hundreds of Hoosiers.
The non-profit group Partners in Housing is doing what it can to keep people housed even as the need for service grows.
"There's about 1,600 people every night that are homeless in Indianapolis," said Partners in Housing executive director Jennifer Green, citing statistics from Indianapolis Continuum of Care. "I just see more people becoming homeless and not having that safety net to go somewhere else."
Partners in Housing commemorated its 30th anniversary Thursday night with a banquet at the Eiteljorg Museum. The organization owns and operates several apartment buildings across Indianapolis and rents the units to people experiencing homelessness.
"If you're not housed, you don't have an opportunity to do anything else," Green said. "You have to have an address to do anything."
"We're making sure everybody has a safe and habitable house," said Partners in Housing employee Monica Lunderman. "It's fulfilling to see people come full circle and see people do well."
Employees say outsiders often fail to understand how close most Hoosiers are to homelessness.
"We had a resident in one of our properties that previously played football for the Dallas Cowboys," Green said.
"We all could've made a bad decision or wrong decision to get to where they are," Lunderman said. "It doesn't take much."
The organization is continuing to expand its mission. Green said Partners in Housing hopes to open dedicated facilities for young adults and families experiencing homelessness in 2024.
"When we leave work and put the key in our door and walk into our house...it's powerful."
If you are in need of Partners in Housing's services, click here.
