Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation Brit Olam Committee

VSCC LWVIN
4:22 PM (8 minutes ago)
to Amy, bcc: me

I am sharing the Action Network message on SB 10. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/oppose-sb-10-suppresses-vote-of-students-and-legally-registered-voters?source=direct_link&

· Ends the ability of college/university students to use their state-issued ID from a state educational institution as an ID to vote or register to vote.

· Increases the likelihood that validly registered citizens will be purged from the voting rolls.

· Restricts when license branch employees (BMV) may ask an individual if they want to register to vote or update the voter registration record to transactions for a driver’s license or state ID.

· Reduces the number of citizens who will be able to vote in a state that has the lowest voter turnout already. Indiana ranks 50 out of 51.

· Puts a thumb on the scales as to who can and who cannot vote, increasing the likelihood that legitimately registered voters will be disenfranchised.

It is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, Jan. 27 at 8:00 am.

Please share the link with your League members and on your social media platforms.
Please come to the hearing.

New Indianapolis Food Insecurity Coalition.

Food access advocates jumpstart coalition to fight hunger The Indianapolis Community Food Access Coalition was created by the city three years ago but wasn’t formalized until now.

The Indianapolis Star | Page A002 Friday, 12 July 2024
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St. Lucas Lofts boosts Indy’s affordable housing

The modern St. Lucas Lofts building looks as though it could command luxury rent prices. Despite the building’s premium countertops, modern design and onsite gym, the owners aim not to earn a profit but to help formerly homeless young adults and low-income families improve their lives.

The building on Indy’s near east side will house families between 30% and 60% of the area’s median income. Ten of the 48 units are set aside for young adults experiencing homelessness, who receive rental assistance from the city of Indianapolis’ Department of Metropolitan Development and the Indianapolis Housing Agency.

Some families have already moved into the complex at East New York Street and North Rural Street, which opened in June. The building held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the project’s completion.

The building , funded partially by CVS Health , will offer on-site support for mental and community health. The philosophy underpinning the construction is 'housing first,' where formerly unsheltered individuals are provided housing with wrap-around services designed to enable financial independence.

Pearl Brown, a 19-year-old from the near east side, began experiencing intermittent homelessness at 18 after becoming pregnant. Brown said that she struggled to find a place to live.

'Especially young mothers out here, we suffer. We struggle to take care of our kids and then can’t find a house we can’t afford,' Brown said.

Brown spent months on a waiting list for housing before she finally received keys to an apartment in a building managed by the nonprofit Englewood Community Development Corporation, which also runs the lofts.

More than 300 individuals submitted inquiries or applications for the 48 units in the Lofts when applications opened. Englewood Community Development Corporation will manage about 400 dedicated affordable housing units in 10 buildings, including the lofts, by the end of the year.

'The need is incredibly high,' Abigail Lane said, director of near east side initiatives for Englewood CDC, which fields daily requests for safe and affordable housing.

CVS Health contributed $10 million for the building’s construction, with the city of Indianapolis contributing another $3.5 million. CVS Health has contributed to the development of 1,500 housing units in Indiana since 1999.

Anne Crees, vice president of sales for CVS/Aetna, said the company aims to look at health holistically and find barriers to health outside of a doctor’s visit or pharmacy . Those can often include unsafe living conditions.

'We don’t just want to put people in housing; that doesn’t set them up for success. We want to empower them with access to social programs, education programs, transportation assistance, food insecurity initiatives and things like that,' Crees said.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city has no more significant civic duty than caring for its youth, especially those who lack safe places to live.

'It’s unacceptable, but also a tragedy,' Hogsett said about youth and young adult homelessness. 'We are morally obligated to help them.'

The 10 units dedicated to permanent supportive housing for young adults can adapt to the individual’s needs. Outreach Inc, an Indianapolis-based non-profit focused on youth and young adult homelessness, works directly with individuals seeking housing and Englewood CDC to find appropriate units.

St. Lucas Lofts units all feature at least one bedroom but other options exist depending on family size.

The opening comes as cities across the U.S. grapple with rising homelessness and rising housing costs. Homelessness decreased in Indianapolis by 8% in 2023, but those without consistent shelter increased by 77% from 2022. City officials and advocates have focused on creating programs to intervene before homelessness begins, but ever-increasing housing costs and low housing inventory create challenges .

Housing prices in central Indiana hit a record high in May, at an average of $315,000. The average rent in Indianapolis is $1,219 monthly, an increase of more than $300 since January 2018. One-bedroom units at St. Lucas Lofts will range between $400 and $800 monthly and about $1,000 for two-bedroom units.

Tyler Spence is a Pulliam Fellow primarily covering business. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Deep conncern!

USDA chief voices ‘deep concerns’ over U.S. House GOP farm bill’s nutrition cuts • Indiana Capital Chronicle Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack criticized a farm bill draft written by U.S. House Republicans that threatens assistance programs.