Hogsett's 2026 city budget includes $10 million for homelessness

Driving the news: The City-County Council will hold a public hearing on Mayor Joe Hogsett's budget proposal, including the $10 million for homelessness initiatives, later this month and vote on it in October.

State of play: Hogsett's budget continues homelessness initiatives started in previous years and expands some, including the master leasing program that matches empty apartments with unhoused individuals, who sublet the units from a nonprofit that holds the lease.

• It also funds the tenant advocacy project, which provides free legal assistance to tenants facing eviction and the Vacant to Vibrant program, which turns vacant or blighted properties into affordable housing.

Zoom in: The Streets to Home Indy program, also covered in Hogsett's budget, is what the city has been using to relocate individuals who had been camping near Fountain Square.

• That encampment was slated for closure after neighbors complained, but the city took it more slowly than originally expected finding placements for campers.

What we're watching: The city was expected to break ground on a new low-barrier shelter last year, but that's been pushed back to later this year.

What's next: The City-County Council's public hearing is scheduled for 7pm Sept. 22.