‘It would be horrible’: Advocates worry camping ban would hurt Indy’s housing program

Homeless Man’s Struggle Highlights Controversial Indiana Camping Ban Proposal

Jason Sargent hunched against the cold on a Monday morning, his sweatshirt hood pulled up and hand warmers tucked inside his gloves. The 42-year-old sat alone outside a downtown Indianapolis coffee shop, unaware that just two blocks away at the Indiana Statehouse, lawmakers were debating legislation that could drastically impact his life.

“It would be horrible,” said Sargent, who has been homeless for a year, when told about the proposed camping ban.

Senate Bill 285, authored by Republican Senator Cyndi Carrasco of Indianapolis, would make it illegal to sleep or camp on public land throughout Indiana. The bill, which passed the Senate largely along party lines in January, represents a growing trend of similar legislation across the United States.

“It is not compassionate to allow our neighbors to die on the streets,” Carrasco argued during a committee meeting in January, framing the bill as a necessary response to what supporters view as a worsening homelessness crisis.

If enacted, the law would initially provide a warning to individuals found sleeping on public property. After this warning, they would have 48 hours to relocate at least 300 feet away or face a Class C misdemeanor charge—potentially resulting in up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

The timing of the bill has sparked controversy, coming less than a year after the launch of Streets to Home Indy, a program aimed at getting homeless individuals into housing with supportive services. The initiative has already housed nearly 90 people who were previously living on Indianapolis streets, with a target of housing approximately 300 people by summer.

“Please don’t inhibit our progress,” urged Democratic Senator Greg Taylor of Indianapolis, whose amendment to explicitly protect the program was voted down. A fundamental tension exists between the program’s timeline—it takes an average of 26 days to get someone housed—and the bill’s 48-hour relocation requirement.

Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, CEO of the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, which leads the Streets to Home program, expressed opposition to the bill. She acknowledged that Carrasco has been receptive to concerns, noting the senator authored an amendment clarifying that cities could still provide housing alternatives instead of citations or arrests.

“People genuinely care about this issue,” Haring-Cozzi said.

Law enforcement officials have also raised concerns. Stephen Luce, executive director of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, testified against the bill, citing worries about jail overcrowding—already a pressing issue in Indianapolis due to immigration detainees.

“I don’t want to see the jail be the final resting place for these people,” Luce stated during committee testimony.

Critics also point out that misdemeanor charges create additional barriers to housing, as many landlords screen out applicants with criminal records. “We don’t want to create legal barriers to actually housing these folks,” said Taylor Hughes, chief strategy officer for the Indy Chamber.

Despite these concerns, the chamber supports the bill. Hughes noted that homelessness ranks as the top concern among chamber members, spanning issues from safety to genuine concern for those living outside.

The legislation’s origins have drawn additional scrutiny. The camping ban is being promoted by the Cicero Institute, a Texas-based conservative think tank that offers a fill-in-the-blank model bill for camping bans on its website. The organization was behind a similar proposal in Indiana last year that failed to pass.

“It doesn’t sit well for a Texas-based think tank to come to Indiana with a one-size-fits-all approach,” Haring-Cozzi said.

Paul Webster, a senior fellow at the Cicero Institute, defended the bill during committee testimony, calling it “a compassionate measure for people living in public spaces in Indiana.” When asked about criticism regarding the institute’s nationwide influence on homelessness policies, Webster was dismissive: “I don’t think much of it.”

The proposed ban comes in the wake of a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cities can legally prohibit people from sleeping and camping in public places, a decision that has emboldened similar legislative efforts across the country. Other states implementing such bans have seen significant enforcement activity—Kentucky charged more than 400 people within the first year of its statewide camping ban.

Rachael Sample from the Indianapolis Foundation, which has committed $2.7 million to support Streets to Home, warned that the approach could undermine existing efforts. “Anything that takes focus away from housing people makes all of this work more challenging,” Sample said.

The bill has been assigned to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee but had not been scheduled for a hearing as of early February. As the legislative process continues, people like Jason Sargent wait on Indianapolis sidewalks, their futures hanging in the balance.