August 5, 2026

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Streets to Stability Update

In June, Heading Home announced Streets to Stability, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness in South Central Indiana, starting in Bloomington and Monroe County.

We’re excited to announce that Heading Home has received a $350K grant from Community Solutions to support the first phase of this work. Since 2022, our region has partnered with the Community Solutions Built for Zero initiative. That partnership has laid the foundation for Streets to Stability, and we're grateful for the support!

Stay tuned for more updates as Streets to Stability gets underway, connecting unsheltered residents with the housing and support they need.

Bloomington Street Outreach Collective

Heading Home's Housing Solutions Director, Erin Reynolds-Nylund, laid the foundation for the July launch of the Bloomington Street Outreach Collective (BSOC), a new coordinated initiative that brings together outreach providers to better serve individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

The Collective formalizes coordinated outreach protocols while building on existing partnerships, aligning outreach efforts to create a more unified, housing-focused response. Through multidisciplinary teams conducting outreach at consistent times and locations, BSOC provides person-centered engagement and access to a broad range of services. By strengthening communication, coordination, and shared best practices across agencies, the Collective is improving connections to housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, and other critical resources for people living in places not meant for human habitation.

Heading Home Launches "Let's Talk"

Have questions about homelessness or housing insecurity in our community? Curious about the work of Heading Home of South Central Indiana? Looking to share ideas, concerns, or simply have a conversation?

On Thursday, August 6 from 8:30-10 a.m., join Mary Morgan, Heading Home's Executive Director, for "Let's Talk — an informal opportunity to connect over coffee at The Inkwell, 105 N. College in downtown Bloomington. Stop by anytime during the scheduled hours to ask questions, learn more about housing and homelessness in South Central Indiana, discuss community challenges, or share your perspective.

These conversations are an opportunity to build understanding, strengthen relationships, and hear directly from the people who care about creating a community where everyone has a safe place to call home. We hope you'll pull up a chair and join the conversation!

Creating Pathways Home

One of our team's greatest joys is walking alongside people on their journey back home.

In July, our Diversion & Prevention Team helped 32 households remain safely housed, preventing homelessness before it began. So far this year, the team has assisted more than 190 households, helping families and individuals navigate crises and maintain stable housing.

Our Street Outreach Team helped 9 individuals move from unsheltered homelessness into stable housing. Year-to-date, 44 people have made that same transition — taking an important step toward safety, stability, and a place to call home.

Together, these efforts demonstrate that homelessness can be prevented, and with persistent outreach and strong partnerships, housing is possible.

Initiative to End Veteran Homelessness

We're excited to share that veteran homelessness has decreased by 70% since October 2025.

This progress is the result of an extraordinary region-wide collaboration. Every two weeks, representatives from Heading Home, local emergency shelters, street outreach providers, the Veterans Administration, Volunteers of America, and the Monroe County Veteran Service Office come together to review every veteran experiencing homelessness by name. Together, they identify barriers, coordinate resources, develop individualized housing plans, and ensure no veteran falls through the cracks.

This biweekly case conferencing model allows partners to respond quickly when a veteran is in crisis, connect them to housing opportunities, healthcare, behavioral health services, income and benefits, and other critical supports, and work collectively toward lasting housing stability.

By combining expertise, sharing information, and maintaining a shared commitment to ensuring every veteran has a safe place to call home, our community is making measurable progress — and changing lives one veteran at a time.

Upcoming Events

Prosperity Indiana Webinar: ROAD to Housing Act

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, signed into law on July 11, 2026, is the largest federal housing package enacted in recent history. Join Prosperity Indiana on Thursday, August 6 from 11:30 AM - 12:30 p.m. to learn what this landmark legislation means for affordable housing, what's included in the new law, and what's next for housing advocates working to ensure safe, affordable homes for all Hoosiers.

Register for the event here.

WellSpring Open House

WellSpring invites the community to an Open House at its new Men's House on Wednesday, August 19, from 1-4 p.m. at 301 W. Harrison St. in Martinsville.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by, tour the new facility, and learn more about WellSpring's work to address homelessness in Morgan County!

City of Bloomington De-Escalation Training

Save the Date:

2026 Monroe County Recovery Summit

Heading Home's public data dashboard is updated monthly. If you have any questions, please contact Tatiana Wheeler.

These metrics represent a high-level overview from our public data dashboard, which tracks our community’s progress toward making homelessness rare, brief, and non-repeating. The data reflects outcomes across key populations, including single adults, veterans, and families experiencing homelessness. These indicators help us measure impact, identify trends, and guide strategic action.

In July 2026, regional service providers worked with:

• 516 Total Individuals experiencing homelessness (including children)
• 268 Single Adults experiencing homelessness
• 8 Veterans experiencing homelessness
• 40 Families experiencing homelessness

Join us in celebrating that in July, 32 households moved into stable housing!

Big thanks to all of the service providers who are working to strengthen housing security in South Central Indiana.

About Heading Home of South Central Indiana

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