CHIP staff and Board of Directors recently updated Mayor Peterson and industry stakeholders on the progress of the Blueprint to End Homelessness' goals and identified activities to advance ending homelessness.

• Pushing towards a goal of making 1,700 rental units affordable to residents within the first five years of the plan (2003-2008), 284 have been completed and an additional 620 are in progress.
• Progress has been made in identifying coordinators of case management. Through a grant from United Way, the Action Coalition to Ensure Stability (ACES) program is serving as the coordinating entity for service delivery for Colonial Park.
• Prevention efforts have taken shape with investment in projects such as Amber Woods and New Bridges, providing a significant number of affordable apartments, linked with some level of services for households earning less than 30% of the area's median income. Proposals are being developed to target youth leaving foster care, and Volunteers of America has opened the Theodora House as transitional housing for women leaving prison.
• A volunteer mentor program for homelessness prevention has been created with Trusted Partners. They help recruit, train and place volunteer mentors with homeless and at-risk families and individuals.
• An Affordable Housing Database – www.indianahousingnow.org – was launched in April 2005.
• Street outreach teams have coordinated efforts regarding hours and areas of operation during the winter contingency months.
• The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) web-based system has been completed; training and connecting additional agency sites continues.
• Greater funding has been secured on behalf of Blueprint-type projects. Research has been conduced on ways to capitalize the local housing trust fund.
• The Funders' Council has was established and was reviewed potential Blueprint projects.
• The City of Indianapolis, in partnership with Central Indiana Community Foundation, will put $600,000 toward homelessness prevention through the Family Success Initiative.
• CHIP has conducted research and designed the model for the Engagement Center. Next steps are to help secure funding.
• United Way of Central Indiana is leading the effort to develop a coordinated approach to assist youth aging out of foster care.