Indianapolis one step closer to constructing first low-barrier homeless shelter [Video]

INDIANAPOLIS — The city of Indianapolis is one step closer to building a low-barrier homeless shelter east of downtown.

On Monday night, the City-County Council voted to allocate funding for the shelter’s construction.

In October, the project was awarded $20 million from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Mayor Joe Hogsett also committed $12 million from the city for construction.

In total, construction is expected to cost $32 million and be entirely funded by tax dollars.

The new shelter will be built in the 1000 block of East Georgia Street, just north of Fountain Square. It’s expected to be four stories and about 63,000 square feet.

The goal is to be a one-stop shop for those experiencing homelessness by offering supportive services along with a 24/7 low-barrier shelter, which means common entry requirements like sobriety are …