Bloomington, Indiana – The City of Bloomington has released a wide-ranging report detailing its efforts to address homelessness and navigate the city’s evolving housing landscape. The report, issued under Mayor Kerry Thomson’s administration, highlights ongoing strategies designed to balance public safety, community well-being, and support for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Since Mayor Thomson took office in 2024, the city has pursued a multi-faceted approach aimed at both immediate crisis response and long-term system stabilization. Investments in affordable housing and prevention programs, bolstered support for local shelters and service providers, and daily field operations to maintain public spaces have been key components of this strategy. The administration has also emphasized rebuilding public safety capacity while expanding non-police crisis response options to ensure the city remains safe and accessible for everyone.
Released near the midpoint of Mayor Thomson’s term, the report presents a snapshot of the city’s progress and outlines the next steps in a comprehensive strategy to coordinate homelessness response across the region. “Homelessness is not a single-issue challenge—it is intertwined with housing supply, behavioral health, and the everyday realities of how people live, work, and move through our city,” Mayor Thomson said. “This report shows where we have taken meaningful action, where systems are still strained, and how we are working with partners to create pathways to stability while keeping Bloomington safe, welcoming, and functional for everyone.”
The report is organized into six major areas of focus. First, the city is working to prevent homelessness by expanding housing options, stabilizing existing homes, and modernizing development and permitting processes to increase access to affordable living spaces. Second, it supports shelters and frontline providers through targeted funding, coordination, and strengthened case-management capacity. Third, the administration addresses short-term impacts in public spaces through clean-ups, ambassador teams, and assistance for local businesses affected by homelessness in the community.
Public safety measures form a fourth key focus, combining efforts to rebuild police capacity with expanded non-police crisis response, ensuring residents and visitors have safe and appropriate support when needed. Fifth, the city emphasizes co-created solutions by partnering with nonprofits, faith-based organizations, businesses, and regional jurisdictions, recognizing that addressing homelessness requires collaboration across sectors. Finally, the report highlights economic development initiatives, aiming to align housing, jobs, and revenue to build more resilient systems over the long term.
The document also notes the temporary role of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding in supporting these efforts and stresses the importance of establishing durable systems and partnerships that will endure beyond the sunset of those funds in 2027.
Mayor Thomson reiterated the city’s ongoing commitment, saying, “Our commitment is simple: a Bloomington where people feel safe, supported, and able to build their lives. That requires persistence, coordination, and clarity about what the City can—and cannot—do alone.”
The full report, including a detailed breakdown of the city’s investments and strategic priorities, is available online at bton.in/hrhi. The release underscores Bloomington’s focus on tackling homelessness through coordinated, long-term planning while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all.
