Homelessness affects many more people in Indianapolis than some people realize. Our homelessness is not as visible as encountered in some cities, but 4,500 to 7,500 of our fellow neighbors are estimated to be homeless during the course of a year. An estimated 45,000 people live on the edge of becoming homeless. These low income families are struggling to make ends meet, paying over half their meager incomes toward housing costs: it doesn't take much for them to fall into homelessness.

There are many faces of homelessness. Sadly, over the course of a year, 40 percent of those who are homeless are families with children. People who lose their homes include victims of domestic violence, teenagers aging out of foster care, runaway children, developmentally disabled persons, persons who suffer from a serious mental illness or an addiction, and other vulnerable groups of our neighbors. There is no one type of homeless person.