A former Indianapolis school building will help meet a critical need this winter by sheltering families with children experiencing homelessness.
Susan Roll Leach School 68, 2107 N. Riley Ave., will become an overflow site as part of the city’s winter contingency plan.
Families who need shelter should contact the Mayor’s Action Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 317-327-4622. Families can also contact Indiana 211 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The site will be available by referral only. Aspire Indiana Health will screen and place people. Walk-ins won’t be accepted.
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The city’s Office of Public Health and Safety expects the site to open around Dec. 15 and operate through the end of winter contingency on March 31. The city expects the facility to accommodate 34 to 40 families of four, with provisions to support larger families as needed.
Getting School 68 on the roster of shelter options is a big deal because the winter contingency plan originally didn’t have options for families beyond the normal capacity shelter providers already had.
And that was just one challenge facing the city and service providers.
Wheeler Mission typically organizes the citywide plan to get people inside during the coldest months of the year. But the organization reached a tipping point and asked others to step up.
This isn’t the first time School 68 will serve as an overflow site for people experiencing homelessness. Indianapolis Public Schools closed the building after the 2008-2009 school year and allowed the city to use it for overflow during the winter of 2021-2022.
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.
Where to go if you’re homeless this winter
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