Mirror Indy has received an award for its community-centered reporting, especially for its coverage of housing and homelessness.
The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, colloquially known as CHIP, awarded Mirror Indy its Joe Fahy Caring for Our Neighbor award. The annual honor recognizes a person or group working to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness in Indianapolis.
The group invited economics reporter Tyler Fenwick to accept the award on Mirror Indy’s behalf at its annual celebration Sept. 17. Over the last two years, Fenwick’s led the newsroom’s coverage on housing and homelessness.
“It’s an honor for Mirror Indy, particularly Tyler’s work, to be recognized for this award,” Mirror Indy editor in chief Oseye Boyd said. “As a community-based news organization, part of Mirror Indy’s mission is to empower neighbors to create a city where we all thrive. Tyler’s work does just that.”
The award is named after Joe Fahy, a former Indianapolis news reporter who went on to draft a 10-year plan to eliminate homelessness in the city as CHIP’s planning director.
CHIP works to advocate for — and provide resources to — homeless neighbors in Indianapolis. CHIP also conducts the point-in-time count, an annual census that tracks the number of people staying in Marion County’s shelters and streets on a single night in January.
Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, CEO of CHIP, said in a statement that Mirror Indy was chosen for the Joe Fahy award because of the newsroom’s commitment to inclusive, community-centered journalism and accountability reporting.
“Mirror Indy is transforming the way local news is reported by reflecting, serving and empowering the people it represents,” Haring-Cozzi said, in part. “We celebrate Mirror Indy for its unwavering and deep-rooted dedication to this community.”
CHIP presented awards to several other Indianapolis community organizations and leaders for their contributions, too. Other honorees included Fran Quigley, Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, Teresa Wessel, the homelessness support team at RDOOR Housing Corp., Karsyn Mohler, John Lacy and Brian Paul.
Breya Birdsong (right) of RDOOR embraces CHIP’s Elliot Zans upon accepting the CHIP Community Collaboration Award with her colleagues. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
Members of RDOOR’s HomeNow Indy team accept the CHIP Community Collaboration Award. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
Teresa Wessel (left) receives the Dr. William Moreau Jr. Homeless Advocate Award from CHIP’s Kelly Comer Patterson. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
Brian Paul (left) receives the Diamond Service Award from CHIP’s Jacquie Cope. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
Chelsea Haring-Cozzi gives closing remarks during the CHIP Celebration on Sept. 17, 2025, at Crane Bay Event Center in Indianapolis. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
Elliot Zans of CHIP explains the purpose of the CHIP Community Collaboration Award. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy 
People cheer for Karsyn Mohler as he is announced as the winner of the Service Provider Champion Award. Credit: Richard Sitler for Mirror Indy
A commitment to covering housing in Indy
Fenwick was the first reporter hired by Mirror Indy. Since then, he has reported on the city’s efforts to clear homeless encampments, the challenges within eviction courts and how some vulnerable renters are forced to live in potentially unsafe housing conditions.
Fenwick and Mirror Indy data reporter Emily Hopkins also published an investigative project, Broken Housing, about the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s failures to protect low-income renters.
Fenwick’s free text group, Calling Home, has more than 500 members. Subscribers receive texts from Fenwick with resources and links to stories, and can reply with story ideas and questions about housing in Indianapolis.
In his time covering housing and homelessness, Fenwick said he’s striven to approach reporting with compassion and accountability.
“I’ve learned that nobody’s story starts with being homeless,” Fenwick said. “A row of tents on the side of the road represents an outcome.”
Jenna Watson, art director for Mirror Indy, has reported alongside Tyler on many of these stories. Whether at an encampment or in someone’s apartment, she’s observed neighbor after neighbor thanking Fenwick for his reporting.
“When someone calls him asking for housing help, he doesn’t say ‘I’m a journalist, I can’t help with that,’” she said. “He instead says, ‘I’m a journalist, and here’s what you should try.’”
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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