The number of people experiencing homelessness on a single day in Monroe County increased by over 22% this year, according to the 2026 Point-In-Time report.
The Indiana Balance of State Continuum of Care usually conducts its annual PIT count on a night in late January.
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority Outreach Manager Brian Philps told the Indiana Daily Student in an email that the survey collection period was expanded to five days, as the state experienced extreme cold. Philps said individuals were asked to report where they slept on the night of Jan. 28.
The surveys are carried out by volunteers and PIT coordinators in 91 Indiana counties. The count totaled 373 people in Monroe County, up from 305 in 2025.
Of the people counted in Monroe County, over a quarter were under 18. Monroe County had the seventh-highest number of unsheltered people out of all counties in the state included in the report. It saw 49 unsheltered people, meaning they were living in places “not meant for human habitation,” such as cars, parks, streets and encampments.
Monroe County had the fourth-highest homeless population of the counties included in the report, after Vanderburgh, St. Joseph and Allen counties. Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, was not included in the count and is covered by the Indianapolis Continuum of Care.
Across the state, volunteers counted a total of 5,192 sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness, a 6.8% increase from 2025. People who are sheltered and experiencing homelessness are defined as those in emergency shelters, transitional housing or safe haven veteran housing.
This year, the Indiana Balance of State Continuum of Care reported its count was impacted by temperatures in the negative double digits that increased shelter locations and bed availability.
Senate Enrolled Act 285, which makes camping and sleeping on public land a Class C misdemeanor, went into effect July 1. Its author, Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis, said during the bill’s third reading that the bill created a “moment where outreach, diversion and connection to services can occur and to move individuals toward a healthier and more stable life.”
Bloomington has spent over $9 million on curbing homelessness since 2024, according to a report released last November. The city’s efforts include investing in affordable housing, eviction prevention and rapid rehousing programs.
