Whenever the politicians fail, the community steps up

Jade Nelson

Temperatures remain below freezing, and the snow likely isn’t stopping until Jan. 26 at the earliest. Many of us are sheltered and likely bundled up with blankets and covers. Because we knew so many of our neighbors would be without any shelter today, Indy Hope Packages spent weeks preparing, assembling, and distributing winter survival kits to our homeless neighbors and those without stable housing.

Every January, CHIP (the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention) does a “point-in-time” count to see how many—and who—among us are without shelter. According to last year’s data, homelessness in Indianapolis is on the rise. Last January, our homeless population was at its highest point in 15 years, with approximately 1,815 people seeking or sleeping in places not intended for habitation—and a disproportionate number, 1004, were Black.

Operating continuously since January 2021

At least once a month, you can find volunteers soliciting and assembling donations to help our fellow residents during these times. In December, we held two consecutive events days apart. First, we assembled winter survival kits on Dec. 11 at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, and second, we distributed those kits at Richard G. Lugar Plaza on Dec. 14.

Thanks to the camaraderie of our volunteers and community members—not to mention media coverage in Mirror Indy and WISH-TV—even more people showed up than usual.

Hope Packages held its first event on January 13, 2021 as a collaborative effort between PSL Indianapolis and Indy10 Black Lives Matter. By fall 2023, Hope Packages had enough support and momentum to transform into an independent project operating under the umbrella—and with the support of—the Center.

At the same time, they released their 10-Point Program, insisting that efforts like those in December and those coming up later this month are not ends in themselves, but rather means to build links with homeless working and oppressed people while we work together to create a just city where the people, not the bankers, are in control. Each assembly, distribution, protest, and action asks: “Why is this necessary in the richest country in the world?”

At their Dec. 14 action, where they distributed over 50 winter survival kits, they teamed up with the BigHomie Foundation. One of their lead organizers, Ace, said their a community-based nonprofit dedicated to feeding the hungry and supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Their goal is to provide consistent meals, essential resources, and genuine care while restoring dignity, hope, and a sense of community to those in need, especially in the most oppressed areas of Indianapolis. Every Sunday at noon, rain or shine, Ace and fellow volunteers set up outside at the corner of Alabama and Washington Street, to serve hot meals to the community. Hope Packages is grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside The Big Homie Foundation and looks forward to future collaborations.

Beyond mutual-aid: Creating a city for all

In December, Hope Packages focused on points six and eight of their program: “Expand Public Spaces” and “Make Housing a Human Right.”

Having access to safer public spaces would benefit everyone in our community, providing places for social interaction, physical activity, relaxation, cultivating community well-being, and more. For the homeless, public spaces serve a much more urgent purpose: they ensure access to necessary resources such as shelter, Wi-Fi, restrooms, and a safe environment, in addition to the psychological relief offered by a sense of normalcy and community connection. Yet such public spaces are shrinking. For years, our public schools and libraries have been facing attack after attack in attempts to privatize them.

Even if they weren’t facing threats, however, additional public spaces are only a temporary fix for a deeper problem. Why do we have over 700 million homeless individuals in a country with over 3.5 million vacant homes? Why is 30-40% of the food supply going to waste, while over 13% of the American population experiences food insecurity? Why is it that in a country with such abundance, there are so many people who don’t have anything at all? These are the absurdities of capitalism that the mainstream media won’t touch. That’s why Hope Packages meetings include in-depth presentations and discussions on not only the problems, but actual solutions.

The real solution to homelessness in our City-County is for Indianapolis and Marion County to make housing a human right and guarantee that no person, family, or other unit has to live without shelter or in a precarious situation. That might sound like a pipe dream, but it is absolutely reasonable and possible. In fact, it could be done without mass protests or even petitions; it could be enacted purely through legal and political means.

In Indianapolis, there are over 12,000 vacant residential properties. In other words, the city could give 10 vacant homes to each homeless person without running out of our housing stock. The city would only need to do the same for its people as it is likely to do for Citizens Energy Group, so it can acquire the land needed for underground piping and other infrastructure on behalf of a business development project.

Eminent Domain law lets private entities take private property for “public” projects, provided they pay “just compensation.” Given that many property owners are out-of-state slumlords, the city could possibly end up with a surplus of cash on top of the housing. Instead, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan is to acquire 150-200 vacant homes throughout 2026 in his “Vacant to Vibrant” plan, and only after providing the landowners numerous chances to stop the process. In most cases, of course, the banks own the houses. Still, they have already more than made enough from their initial “investment” to provide a legal basis within the capitalist framework for their reappropriation by the city and people.

Serve the people, struggle for the people!

We are taught that homelessness is the result of individual poor choices, bad luck, etc. The reality is that unemployment, wage stagnation, job losses, and higher rents produce homelessness. As a direct political-aid organization, providing necessary resources to people who are struggling in communities across our city, Hope Packages is about more than caring; it’s about struggling together, uniting, and building the solidarity needed to transform Indianapolis. Contributing what you can, whether It be money or time, not only provides us with resources but also strengthens communities and creates the necessary foundation to building a better world, because a better world is possible. You can help now by taking any or all of the following steps: