Matthew Plummer stood off to the side as people gathered around shovels that had been propped up in a pile of dirt.
He was crouched in the grass with his partner, Hannah Collins, and their two dogs. They didn’t have an official role in this groundbreaking ceremony. But Sanctuary Indy, the nonprofit that’s helping them out of homelessness, made sure they were part of a special day.
“Someone really cares about us,” Plummer said.
Sanctuary Indy plans to build a community of tiny homes and duplexes next to Lynhurst Baptist Church on the west side. The groundbreaking for Circle City Village was March 26. The nonprofit’s goal is to help Indy’s chronically homeless population, which has been growing.
“The ground that you’re standing on has been covered in prayer,” the church’s pastor, Ben Wakefield, said from a podium.
The ceremony was a celebration and a call to action.
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Sanctuary Indy still needs to raise about $300,000 for the first phase of the project. A donor recently pledged to match up to $350,000. The money will pay for construction of five tiny homes, along with infrastructure costs such as sidewalks and utilities.
There isn’t a firm timeline for the project.
But future residents couldn’t help but think of what’s to come.
As the crowd broke apart after the ceremony, one of those residents, Beverly, walked up to Plummer and Collins.
“Right there,” she said, nodding in the direction of the shovels, “we’ll have a place to live.”
“All of us,” Plummer said. “We’ll be neighbors.”
Sanctuary Indy is ‘following God’s lead’
If Sanctuary Indy can meet its fundraising goal, the community will be built in three phases.
1️⃣ Six tiny homes. One of the homes has already been built.
2️⃣ 10 duplexes for families. People living there would have access to some of the church’s services, such as a pre-K program and recovery support groups.
3️⃣ A community center, where events and programs could be hosted for residents.
Sanctuary Indy’s founder, Michelle Shelburne, teared up as she talked about Circle City Village.
At one point, the project was delayed because infrastructure costs turned out to be higher than expected. But that was before the fundraising match. Sanctuary Indy has already raised about $650,000.
And more good news came the day of the groundbreaking.
Erica Schneider, the organization’s advancement director, told Mirror Indy someone at the ceremony committed to providing asphalt for free — saving an estimated $50,000.
Looking back on the days when Circle City Village was only an idea on paper, Shelburne said it felt surreal to reach this point.
“For me,” she said, “it’s following God’s lead.”
Next up for Plummer: ‘Getting our stuff together’
Plummer and Collins have been staying at a hotel on the east side since November. Sanctuary Indy is paying for them and eight other future Circle City Village residents to live there.
Before the hotel, the couple lived out of a tent.
“We’re getting our stuff together,” Plummer said.
That includes getting an ID for Collins. Even with help from the organization, she said that process took seven months.
A stable place to live is the next step for them and their dogs, Shadow and Dime Life.
“It’s gonna be a whole different world,” Collins said.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.
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