INDIANAPOLIS — On May 1, Mayor Joe Hogsett, along with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Partners in Housing and Adult & Child Health, launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program that will provide a temporary safe haven and healthcare services to individuals experiencing homelessness in the Indianapolis community. The program’s launch will target those residents impacted by the closing of The Jungle, a recently closed site that had been home to many individuals experiencing homelessness. The pilot program is designed to connect participants with sustainable, secure housing that will support autonomy, provide connections to wrap around services, and improve residents’ health and quality of life.
The program will only be available to Anthem Medicaid members and will target individuals experiencing homelessness who may have significant mental health and/or substance use issues, multiple physical health issues, and need access to acute care crisis services. Anthem, in addition to providing customary Medicaid benefits, will fund and support intensive health care and social services, navigation services, and intensive tenancy and housing support programs.
The City of Indianapolis, in partnership with the Indianapolis Housing Trust Fund, will provide funding for beds and facility costs. While Anthem will provide Medicaid benefits and support services, Medicaid funds will not be used to cover the costs of housing.
As part of its long standing commitment to end homelessness, Partners in Housing will provide transition and tenancy sustaining services at the Blue Triangle Apartments aimed at finding permanent housing for program participants. In addition to supporting the pilot program, Partners in Housing will convert all the rooms to studio efficiency apartment, which will allow the property to be designated as supportive housing units.
Adult & Child Health will offer health and community navigation and provide wrap-around services.
While this pilot program has been designed as a short term initiative, the goal will be to link a portion of the estimated 1,600 people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis with sustainable, secure housing.