Indiana lawmakers discuss bill to criminalize sleeping outside

By Meredith Hackler

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — According to the latest data from the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, as of the latest point-in-time count in 2024, there were 1,701 people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis, a 5% increase from 2023.

Across the state, 4,584 people were homeless in January 2024. The number could be higher because not all counties participate in the yearly count. Regardless, the numbers have still increased year over year since 2022.

Now, lawmakers are considering a bill that would lead to criminal charges for sleeping outside. It’s a mandate that advocates say won’t fix the growing problem.

“When you force someone to do something, you usually don’t get the result that you are trying to get,” Jennifer Layton, President of LTHC Homeless Services, said.

Layton has been working with the homeless community in the city of Lafayette for 30 years. She says shelters are full, and the unhoused often don’t have a choice other than to sleep on the street.

“Instead of helping people find affordable housing, connecting them to services and care, the solution for this bill is to criminalize and ultimately arrest people if they are on public spaces,” Layton said.

The bill would require law enforcement to give someone sleeping outside a warning first. Officers would be required to offer the person in question a ride to the nearest shelter if there is one.

If they refuse, they have 24 hours to move or they must be arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The bill leaves no room for local municipalities not to comply.

“Several times during my homelessness, I had to seek refuge under a bridge or someplace safe out in the woods where I could catch some sleep because the shelter was full,” Dawn Baldwin said. “Or I unfortunately missed the sign-up time due to circumstances.”

Baldwin was homeless for 10 years. She had a lucrative career in the aerospace industry but had a mental health crisis, which caused her to lose everything. Now, she owns her business where she cares for and walks dogs.

She says she was able to pull herself out of homelessness through permanent supportive housing and programs offered to her while she was living there. She testified against the bill because she feels affordable housing should be lawmakers’ focus.

“You can’t get better without housing,” Baldwin said. “I was not able to get better without housing.”

The bill’s author wasn’t available for an interview but she sent us the following statement:

I authored House Bill 1662 this session to help keep our communities safe, accessible and well-maintained for everyone. This measure sets clear guidelines while allowing flexibility and compassion in enforcement. This is just a start, and we need to continue to look for long-term solutions to help reduce homelessness. State Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland) The bill passed out of committee. It now heads to the full House for discussion.

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