Make wishtv.com your home page

First recipient named for Housing to Recovery funding

(photo courtesy of Horizon House)

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has named the first recipient of grant funding through the city’s Housing to Recovery Fund. Horizon House in Indy will receive $560,000, which the city says will support permanent supportive housing for 120 individuals for families who were previously homeless for a one-year period.

Horizon House says the funding will help expand its housing navigation and intensive case management services. The organization will have an option to receive an additional $90,000 once certain outcomes are achieved.

“Last year, we announced this fund as a resource to financially support permanent solutions to long-term homelessness in our city. By this, we meant nothing less than the end of chronic homelessness in Indianapolis,” Hogsett said in a news release. “This remains our goal. It is through the wrap-around services provided alongside permanent housing that we see the most benefit for individuals and families. This work means fewer interactions with law enforcement; fewer visits to the emergency room for health care; and greater overall housing stability.”

The city says, to date, nearly $2 million has been committed to the fund, nearing the goal of $4 million set when the fund launched in January 2019. The fund is a partnership with the Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Coalition for Homeless Intervention and Prevention, among others.

“The demonstrated success of Horizon House over the past two years in keeping people stably housed is centered on meeting and supporting individuals and families where they are,” said Brian Payne, chief executive officer of the CICF. “Providing customized case management services to help newly-housed neighbors navigate a new beginning is what has been successful. We are scaling this success within Horizon House first and then will look to duplicate this success across the City.”

Horizon House launched its Housing Support Program in 2018. Executive Director Teresa Wessel says the funding will help the organization grow its efforts to help people overcome the obstacles created by chronic homelessness.