Happy New Year!

Congratulations for making it to the second week of 2024! We're always grateful for fresh starts, and we look forward to working with you in the coming year to strengthen housing security in this region. Read on for news and info about upcoming events, community successes, and volunteer/job opportunities.

Cold Weather Trauma Training Webinar

Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at noon to hear from Dr. Andrew Watters, an expert in emergency medicine at IU Health. You'll learn about winter treatment strategies for people who are unsheltered. The session will cover hypothermia, environmental exposures, traumatic injuries and other medical emergencies.

This online event is part of Heading Home's ongoing support for front-line staff at agencies that address housing insecurity. The session is free but registration is required. Please register here.

The Point-in-Time Count, known as the PIT Count, is a mandated, national effort to document all the people experiencing homelessness on a specific day in January. This year, the day count will take place on Thursday, Jan. 25 – and our region needs volunteers! 

The 2024 PIT Volunteer Training Webinar will be held on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. You can register here. You can also watch a 2024 PIT kickoff webinar here.

This year, the count for Region 10 is coordinated by Jennifer Jenkins of the South Central Community Action Program. Region 10 includes Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Lawrence, Greene and Martin counties. 

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] and register for the Jan. 11 training webinar. Thanks for your help!

As we head into the new year, we're also taking a moment to look back at Heading Home's work in 2023. From our partnership with Built for Zero to the many events, collaborations and initiatives we led, our year was full of progress toward making homelessness rare, brief and non-repeating.

Thanks to our many partners who work every day to help residents find safe, stable housing in our region!

Thanks to our many partners who work every day to help residents find safe, stable housing in our region!

Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition:

Learn About Proposed State Legislation

The Indiana General Assembly 2024 legislative session begins this month, and several proposed bills relate to affordable housing solutions. The Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition is hosting an online forum on Friday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. to discuss land banks, community land trusts, and the respective bills that could be acted on during the 2024 legislative session.

The free HHNC forum will cover:

• What land banks are and how they contribute to Indiana's supply of affordable housing
• What community land trusts are and how they contribute to Indiana's supply of affordable housing
• Related bills that have been introduced this year by the Indiana General Assembly

Grant to SCCAP Helps Fund

Medical Debt Relief, Other Critical Needs

The City of Bloomington has awarded the South Central Community Action Program a $1 million grant to address economic inequities for Bloomington's low-income residents.

According to a city press release, half of the funding will be directed to alleviate medical debt. The other half will be directed to address menstrual equity, childcare expenses, and certain housing expenses. The funding is part of the city's new Economic Equity Fund, administered by the Community & Family Resources Department.

The program will be launched later this year. SCCAP is a nonprofit agency serving Monroe, Morgan, Owen and Brown counties to reduce the extent and impact of poverty.

League of Women Voters Candidate Survey:

Submit Housing-Related Questions

In 2024, candidates will be running for local, state and federal offices. Local elections include two seats on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, at-large seats on the Monroe County Council, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge, MCCSC and RBBSC school boards, and several other offices.

The League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County is soliciting questions for candidates to answer that will go into the League's VOTE411 candidate guide. VOTE411 is a non-partisan "one-stop-shop" for election-related information.

To suggest topics or specific questions for the VOTE411 candidate guide -- related to housing or any other topic -- email [email protected] TODAY! 

Congrats to all of the Region 10 case managers, street outreach workers, and housing stability coordinators who helped 245 households move into permanent housing during 2023!

Many thanks to all agencies who participate in our region's Coordinated Entry system, working every day to find housing for our neighbors.

Heading Home's People of Housing Security series celebrates people working to make homelessness rare, brief and non-repeating.

The goals of this series are to highlight the hard work of individuals and organizations and to help the community learn about the housing crisis response system and the broader work of housing security.

Thanks to Shelby Ford (New Hope for Families) and Carissa Muncie, (Sojourn House) for sharing their stories this past month! Find articles in the series here.

Upcoming Events

Chili Cook-Off to Benefit

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard

Join the Hub as they kick off FreezeFest on Thursday, Jan. 18 with a Chili Cook-Off featuring local chefs. Attendees will sample each soup, vote for the People's Choice Award, and see a panel of judges deliberate and determine who has the best overall, best vegetarian, and most creative chilis. ​

The event runs from 5-7 p.m. at Dimension Mill, 642 N. Madison. Tickets are $15. Details here.

Statewide Housing Advocacy Day

The Indiana Tenants Association is organizing a Housing Advocacy Day from noon-3 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29 at the Indiana Statehouse 4th Floor South Atrium. The intent is to advocate for legislative changes to safeguard tenants rights and access to affordable housing, and to encourage the Indiana General Assembly to enforce existing laws that ensure all Hoosiers have safe and habitable homes.

Click here to register.

Feb. 16 Eviction Sealing Clinic

A free, walk-in Eviction Sealing Clinic will be held on Friday, Feb. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at the Monroe County Justice Building, 301 N. College Ave. in Bloomington.

Attorneys will be on hand to help fill out the paperwork necessary for a Monroe County eviction to be sealed and to serve the previous landlord by mail on your behalf. The decision to seal each eviction is ultimately up to the judge of the court in which the eviction was filed. Only Monroe County evictions will be sealed at this clinic. If your eviction is in a different county, you may be provided forms to file in the county of dispute.

Read details about the process here. The event is organized by Indiana Legal Services.

Job & Volunteer Openings

Middle Way House

Middle Way House is now hiring for these positions:

• Crisis Intervention Specialist - Emergency Shelter
• Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Learn more about these jobs and apply on Indeed here.

The South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) is hiring several positions, including:

• Family Advocate
• Youth Support Specialist
• Lead Preschool Teacher
• Daycare and Preschool Substitute Teachers

Learn more about these job positions and apply on Indeed here.

Thriving Connections

Thriving Connections is interviewing for new potential Captains. Thriving Connections is an initiative of the South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) that matches Captains and Allies by their talents and interests.

You are asked to make an 18-month commitment. In addition, Captains are asked to attend weekly Community Meeting. It is the connection formed during these meetings with Allies and other Captains that builds respect and understanding, linking people together to end poverty one family at a time. Learn more about Thriving Connections here.

If you or someone you know someone who would be a good fit and wants to be interviewed, please fill out this form.