Indianapolis, IN
Tiny home community to house those experiencing homelessness in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — More people across the nation and right here in Indianapolis are experiencing homelessness — Sanctuary Indy hopes to provide a solution,
Sanctuary Indy has a new concept for permanent supportive housing starting with a five-acre piece of land on the city’s far east side.
Right now, the property sits on a completely wooded area at 10200 E. 38th street, but by 2025 its goal is to be transformed into a tiny home community for those experiencing homelessness.
WRTV
“We have permanent supportive options in the city, but number one there’s not enough,” said Sanctuary Indy Founder and President, Michelle Shelburne. “By doing tiny homes that’s being very proactive and purposeful.”
Shelburne has worked closely with those experiencing homelessness.
The project has been years in the making for her organization and comes as chronic homelessness is on the rise in the county.
“My family was evicted and when we were evicted we just couldn’t find a place to stay nowhere,” said veteran Antonio Wilson, whose family was homeless for six months before getting help from HVAF (Helping Veterans and Families).
According to the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention as of January 2024 more than 1,700 individuals in were listed as experiencing homelessness in Marion County including veteran Alan Stewart.
“I’ve been homeless, sleeping outside or at Wheeler Mission,” Stewart said.
He’s been struggling with permanent housing since 2010 and is now living in transitional housing at HVAF.
Stewart is volunteering there while he looks for a full-time job and permanent place to live.
“I can’t afford nothing cause I ain’t got a job yet,” said Stewart. “If I did find anything it wouldn’t even last 90 days.”
Sanctuary Indy hopes to work with other local organizations like HVAF to prioritize veterans like Stewart and those chronically homeless Hoosiers for its new housing community.
The tiny home village will be made up of 27 homes, up to 480 square feet each designed by the minority- owned business Next Great Architects.
Sanctuary Indy
The homes will be split into three-micro communities on the same property prioritizing veterans first.
Shelburne said all residents would come from the city’s coordinated entry system, which connects the most vulnerable people to housing in Indianapolis.
For the residents, the community would be much more than just housing.
WRTV
“We’ll also have a Missional living on the property with them so a missional is what we should say is a mentor,” Shelburne said.
The faith-based organization also plans to provide support services and case managers to tenants of the community.
“With the case management we’ll be going through working on those barriers of mental illness and substance use disorders,” Shelburne told WRTV. “Then we’re definitely working on the next level of getting into job services.”
Shelburne said tenants will be expected to pay 30% of their income toward paying their own rent.
“We believe everybody wants to give independently to their own monthly expenses,” Shelburne said. “The vision for the community is that people will not have just have a house with a roof over their head and a door that locks but they’ll have a home.”
The project is estimated to cost around $3.2 million, which the faith-based organization said they plan to raise through city and state-wide grants along with private funding.
Shelburne told WRTV the permanent supportive tiny home village would be the first of its kind in Indianapolis and across the state.
The community would focus on a nature feeling, with lots of trees, trails, and a pond.
Sanctuary Indy hopes to get the first phase of the project finished by the end of 2025.
They want to eventually have a tiny home community in all four quadrants of the city.
by:
Gregg Montgomery and Kelsie Gibbs
Posted: / Updated:
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indy Parks on Saturday will unveil the restoration of longstanding fountains, a project almost two years in the making.
The fountains were already shooting water among newly landscaped walking paths on Wednesday afternoon at the Garfield Park Sunken Garden.
City planner and landscape architect George Kessler designed the Sunken Garden and the adjacent Garfield Park Conservatory, which was built in 1916 at 2505 Conservatory Drive.
Funds for the $3 million restoration project were part of an $80 million Lilly Endowment grant issued to Indy Parks in late 2022 for projects at 42 Indianapolis parks.
The Friends of Garfield Park, a group devoted to the south-side park, oversaw the project to restore the concrete walls and plumbing, and add color-changing lights to enhance the look of the fountains.
The group hopes to raise an additional $1 million for the upkeep of the fountains.
A news release issued Wednesday said a recognition event and a ribbon-cutting, free and open to the public, were scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. Due to storms in the forecast, the event could be delayed or canceled.
Indianapolis, IN
That trail you walk downtown? It’s generated $3 billion for Indianapolis, study finds
See the 10th Street Cultural Trail Expansion ribbon cutting ceremon
Highlights: Indiana Ave. and 10th Street Cultural Trail Expansion ribbon cutting on Indiana Ave. on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Indianapolis.
Since its creation, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail in the heart of Circle City has drawn millions of residents and visitors to its distinctive paved path. But according to a new report, the trail isn’t just beneficial for those looking to get out on an urban stroll or bike ride — it’s a driver for the city’s economy and quality of life.
The report, “Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick at 20: Connecting People, Places, and Possibility,” was based on analysis by James Lima Planning + Development, a group of real estate, planning and economic development advisors. Here’s what to know about the report.
How has the Cultural Trail affected the city’s growth, development?
According to the report from 2026, the 10-mile trail has generated $3 billion in assessed property value around its path — money that supports the city and its governmental services.
The population along the trail has grown five times the city average and retail space near the trail has increased 39%, the report shows. Nearby food and beverage sales are almost twice the average per square foot in Indianapolis.
Additionally, the report shows, undeveloped land along the trail has the potential to add $1.4 billion of value in the near future. Since an initial study in 2015, the trail’s economic impact has grown from $1 billion to $3 billion.
“For nearly 20 years, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has helped transform Downtown Indianapolis into a more vibrant, connected and economically competitive city,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a June 3 news release. “It is more than a trail. It is a nationally recognized public asset that drives investment, supports local businesses, connects neighborhoods and improves quality of life for the people who live, work, play and stay in our city.”
According to the report, over 1 million people use the trail each year, and almost half of downtown Indianapolis residents live within a three-minute walk of the path.
What other features does the Cultural Trail offer?
Users of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail aren’t limited to walking — the Pacers Bikeshare program, operated by the trail, has 57 bike stations throughout the city that are accessible 24/7.
The trail also features nearly six acres of plants and greenspace, offering locals and visitors an urban getaway. City planners from across the world have visited the trail to study its design, according to the report.
What is the future of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail?
Focus on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has shifted from construction and maintenance to long-term operations and expanded resources for the public.
Kären Haley, executive director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. — the trail’s nonprofit — said it has grown into the “crown jewel” of the city with the growth and development it has created over two decades.
“The Cultural Trail is driving billions in investment and making surrounding neighborhoods thriving destinations,” she said in a June 3 news release. “As we enter the next phase for the Trail, we look forward to building upon our initial 20 years of impact.”
Mia Thurow is the breaking news and criminal justice reporting intern for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at mthurow@gannett.com.
ICYMI: Top 5 IndyStar business stories in May 2026
A busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reignited debates about hotels and the downtown heliport. Plus, Eli Lilly celebrated 150 years.
May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.
There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.
Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.
Openings
Monkee’s
8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March
Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.
The Nest Play Cafe
515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May
The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.
Forget Me Not Piercing Studio
5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27
A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.
Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square
1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May
Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closures
Vitality IV Bar
6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com
An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.
Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.
See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
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