Masin cassis, sophia neihart & dylan trent

Table of Contents

Introduction

Refutation

Interview

Field Experience

Research

Government

Plan

Conclusion

About Us

Works Cited

Many of us have known people who have been afflicted by homelessness. A few of us have even gone through it ourselves. In Central Indiana, the government has worked to restrict and criminalize things that are associated with the behavior of people experiencing homelessness. Things such as panhandling, sleeping, or parking their cars in public spaces for extended periods of time can now result in fines, electronic monitoring, and jail time. This year, the Indiana Balance of State counted 4,398 individuals experiencing homelessness. This is 710 more people than the previous year. It is important to ask ourselves as a community, if we and the government do enough for the unhoused. The leading causes of homelessness today is the increase of rent and housing unavailability. This is especially difficult for the people who struggle with mental illnesses, disabilities, handicapped situations, and addictions who aren’t able to get proper help.

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Our belief is that the government should be doing more to aid people experiencing homelessness in order to decrease their populations, along with decriminalizing acts that are typical of homeless populations. Through interviews, research and experiences, we as a group collectively understand that the best way to aid the unhoused is by gaining government support to build and improve existing homeless shelters and granting them access to resources to allow them to become self-sufficient, instead of punishing them for the act of being homeless.

Some might argue that the people experiencing homelessness need to take responsibility in their own hands and find ways to help themselves rather than to lean on the support of their government. These arguments stem from aging ideals, shared by most of white Americans aged 55 and up. This also happens to be the primary demographic of government officials. They believe anyone can go and get a job whenever they need or want it, and following that line of reasoning, it’s simple frivolity and laziness preventing people from being able to afford a home. The unhoused decided that they didn’t want to succeed, and so they got what they deserve.

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While in some cases this could possibly be accurate, the executive director of the Boone County Caring Center, Theresa Hanners, found that most cases of homelessness root from mental illness, addiction, and disabilities. Knowing all of this, the United States government has to be the ones to finally take a stand and aid the unhoused individuals given the power and influence they have. Perceptions rooted in unconscious bias like the ones listed above are part of the reason we have very little government support for their homeless, when in reality, the majority of people experiencing homelessness are some of this country’s most vulnerable demographics to things like substance abuse and human trafficking, and should be treated with as much importance and respect as anyone else would be treated.

We interviewed Theresa Hanners, the Executive Director at the Boone County Caring Center. She started by informing us of the role of the caring center. The organization was started in the middle 80’s by a church whose goal was to meet the immediate need of people experiencing homelessness as well as to get them immediate help. They cook food for people, collect donations ranging from children's toys to clothing items, hold a cooking club, support groups, give financial help, and even help with job searches.

Hanners then started talking to us about what they did and tried to do to help the unhoused around Boone County. She told us it can be hard sometimes to help certain individuals. One particular individual they aid is for the most part non-commutative and does not accept much help. He accepts food and water but little else. There are currently five known individuals experiencing homelessness in Boone County who consistently use the Caring Center for food, water and clothing, but due to the fear those experiencing homelessness face, she’s concerned about how many more there might be in Boone County. Hanners explained that due to anti-homeless laws, many are afraid to come forward and get help for fear of being arrested, fined or forced to move their shelters. Along the same vein, Boone County is 423.25 square miles and contains seven different cities and towns. Because of the size, Hanners is concerned that there could be any unhoused residing in places like Jamestown that don’t have the means to make it over to places like the Caring Center. Government funding and donations for places like the Caring Center is also dependent on the population of unhoused in the area. However to be counted, they must come forward in the census with their name and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Unfortunately due to the fear of any repercussions, most don’t, thus leaving places underfunded. This just emphasizes that the government should be sending out more funding to shelters and other organizations that aid people experiencing homelessness. By limiting federal funding according to how many people come forward about their lack of housing, the government limits the amount of people these places can help.

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Hanners also stressed that as a community, we do not talk about homelessness enough or do enough to support them. She believes that if we come together, we can find ways to truly satisfy these individuals’ needs.

Hands on experience at the Caring Center

On November 16, 2023, we completed our field work from 3pm to 5pm at the Caring Center in Boone County. The first thing we noticed walking into the back, was the superfluous amount of canned goods and other foods they had in stock. They also had a vast variety of clothing items and children’s toys. Our initial thought was how wonderful it is that our community donates as much as they do. It is relieving to see how some people have cared for others in this way. We also noticed that there were only two other women volunteering which made us assume there must be lots of work that could be done.

With our time, we went through bins of men’s clothing by size. We separated the old and dirty clothes from the new and fresh clothes which we then folded. We had to tape paper to each clothing item indicating the size which we then put back in the bin for the people who are unhoused. This is what we did for our two hours and we got through almost five bins. Although we didn’t help out in a major way, it felt rewarding just knowing that we are helping this non-profit organization and anyone in need of clothing items. If more people would be willing to come together and do small acts like this, as a community, lots could be achieved and lives could be saved through the care and attention of others in any capacity.

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Seeing the sheer amount of items, and then being reminded that it wasn’t nearly enough for all the people who needed help just emphasized to us how much government aid is needed to help places like the Caring Center support our community. Government aid can be used to buy more supplies, but also it can be used to increase the capabilities of places like the Caring Center, allowing them to offer more services and support to people experiencing homelessness so they can become self-sufficient.

There were 4,398 individuals counted on January 25, 2023 PIT Count (Point-In-Time count) in Indiana. The PIT Count is a count of the unhoused, both sheltered and unsheltered, conducted one night in January by the US department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This count is done by volunteers who distribute paper surveys on a designated night. This information is then put into the Homeless Management Information System database (HMIS).

People who are chronically homeless typically...

• Have at least one disabling condition (e.g., a substance use disorder, mental illness, chronic health condition, disability, etc.), and
  
• Have been consecutively homeless for at least one year OR have been homeless at least four times in the past three years, with a cumulative time of at least one year.
  

In a series of emails between our group, Sheriff Tony Harris and Chief Deputy Mike Beard, we requested information about police response when they encounter people experiencing homelessness, along with what resources we have available for these people. Currently, Boone County does not have a homeless shelter, Harris and Beard both stated that churches, among other organizations have opened their doors to help the unhoused. Police protocol is to contact and move people to homes of relatives, or failing that, they bring them to shelters in and around Indianapolis, or contact Aspire to help place them. When asked about what they believed to be the biggest cause of people becoming homeless in Boone County, Harris stated that he believes the current state of the economy, along with limited job opportunities for people make it difficult to afford a place to live or basic necessities such as food or clothes. Beard discussed his belief that addiction was the main cause, citing how it can tear families apart, along with loss of self control. Both agreed that mental health was also a major cause. Beard added “When states started closing state run mental facilities, the onus was put back on a society not prepared to handle them. This includes law enforcement. We are still trying to improve the way was respond to mental/emotional calls and provide the best case.” The last question we asked was “What do you think would be the best way to help the homeless?” Harris responded that opening a shelter in Boone County would be the first step, and Beard added to that, saying that being able to provide affordable and/or temporary housing would be a start, and then implementing programs that can provide these people with the skills and support they need to begin supporting themselves.

According to the HMIS database the largest age group was under 18 years old. 56% of the population was made up of men, 44% were women, and there were 31 people surveyed who identified with a different gender. 69% of the population was white, 25% African-American, and people who are Indigenous or AAPI made up the other 6%.

GENDER AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE PIT COUNT POPULATION

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Seeing people experiencing homeless from the perspective of law enforcement provides important context, as they help relocate the unhoused to relatives or shelters. Seeing their thoughts on the best ways to help people experiencing homelessness emphasizes how much government funding is needed. Government funding could be used to build homeless shelters in Boone County and across the state of Indiana. Government funding would also allow for the creation and expansion of support programs, which was something Theresa Hanners, executive director of the Caring Center in Lebanon, mentioned was offered at the Caring Center. Being able to expand upon those programs could not only help reduce the current population of unhoused in Indiana, but also help prevent people from losing their homes in the future.

While the Indiana government doesn’t provide for the unhoused in major ways, they do provide the Emergency Solutions Grant which provides funding for essential services, operations, and homeless prevention activities to emergency homeless shelters, transitional housing for the homeless, and day/night homeless shelters.

They also have the Housing First Program which can be offered to people who experience homelessness but must demonstrate readiness for housing. While the government does have some programs and support to offer, they do not do nearly enough. In fact, there are many laws that restrict or prohibit behaviors of people experiencing homelessness. These laws criminalize poverty, fuel prejudices and stereotypes, and further divide the community while alienating the unhoused. These laws consist of prohibiting panhandling, sleeping, sitting or lying down, and living in vehicles within public spaces.

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The other major way the state provides is through the Housing Division of OPHS, who’s goal is to meet the short-term and crisis related needs of the Indianapolis homeless population, implemented the Pathway to Employment which is a program offered to individuals experiencing homelessness in order to get them connected with employment opportunities. Participants of this program are ensured resources and experience necessary in order to keep and maintain employment. While this is certainly helpful to the individuals experiencing homelessness, it does not offer them basic necessities such as appropriate shelter and resources. If the government extends their support to these individuals’ immediate needs, the population of the unhoused will decrease from support of the government which may lead to the support of communities.

There are many different ways people can help, for example there’s donating food, water, or money, there is volunteering, someone could walk around trying to actively give the unhoused food or water on the streets. Not every person who is unhoused goes to a shelter or food bank, there are people who try to help their situation on their own with no assistance.

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The United States government needs to implement more funding for organizations like the Caring Center and shelters in Central Indiana by raising taxes and accepting funding from outside sources who are looking to donate for the cause. It’s also essential for the government to make programs such as the Housing First Program more accessible to all unhoused individuals. A statistic from CAUF (Cold and Uncared for) society found that seven out of ten unhoused individuals are men. That is 67.6% out of the national unhoused community as of 2021. Given this, one initiative the government should start would be to expand the number of men's shelters in Central Indiana. By picking and choosing who to aid, the government is neglecting other individuals who do not “show signs of house readiness.” Individuals with mental illness and physical disabilities are less likely to show the credentials of “readiness” deemed by their government and as a result, need extra support. Considering that mental illness is acknowledged as one of the major reasons people become unhoused, this severely limits the help this program can provide. Additionally, if the United States government is willing to repeal laws that criminalize and alienate the unhoused, communities would begin to face this issue at hand and view the people affected by homelessness as people who need help, versus viewing them as homeless and nothing more. By making people more aware of the unhoused population, we can raise support and unite communities to fight back for the cause.

During the course of this project, we have learned more and more about the issues facing people experiencing homelessness. In Boone County, the primary ones are lack of mental health care, lack of shelters and temporary/affordable housing, and lack of resources and support programs. After exploring multiple solutions, we genuinely believe the most effective way to help the population of people experiencing homelessness is by gaining government support and funding. By gaining government support and funding, not only could we work to build these solutions into our county, but we could expand aid to people who are at risk of becoming unhoused. By giving them access to resources and support programs, we can prevent future rises in the number of people experiencing homelessness.

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As a community, there are things able to be done in order to support the people experiencing homelessness. Rather than turning a blind eye, the next time you see someone in need of essential resources that you may not even worry about having little of, think about going out of your way to donate and to provide unused items.

A special item you could donate that isn't thought of often is a gift card to a fast food restaurant. Access to food is essential for all people and some can only rely on the kindness of others for these essentials. It is important to put ourselves in the shoes of the unhoused community and come together to combat homelessness.The Indiana State Government should provide more funding and pass legislation in order to build new and improve existing homeless shelters and give them access to resources to help them become self-sufficient.

If you are interested in donating to the caring center, you can click here.

Masin Cassis is a senior at Lebanon High School. At school, she is involved with the leadership team for the Lebanon Ambassadors, is President of Thirst Project, is on crew for musical, play, and the show choir, and is a part of the Lebanon Girls Varsity Golf team and DECA. In her spare time, she’s a part of the Union Innovators 4-H club, CIJGA, and enjoys reading, rollerblading, and spending time with friends.

Sophia Neihart attends Lebanon High School as a senior. She played school soccer throughout her highschool career. This year she was a captain for the Girls Varsity Team. Outside of school, she plays on a club team. Her goals after high school are to get a degree in fashion design and business and create an online business selling Christian merchandise in order to help spread the Gospel.

Dylan Trent has involved himself with Lebanon High School’s theater and choir program throughout his four years there. He is an integral part of the show choir Charisma, along with the top concert choir Madrigals. He currently works at Starbucks and has for the past two years. He plans to attend Purdue University or Indiana State University in the fall to study cybersecurity and Criminology.

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