(INDIANAPOLIS) - Concern is growing among homeless service providers and advocates as Indiana's new public camping ban moves closer to its July 1 start date.
The law, approved this year as Senate Bill 285, makes it illegal to camp, sleep or use public land for long-term shelter unless that use is specifically authorized.
Under the law, people must first be given notice and information about available shelter or services. If they remain in the same location 48 hours later, they can face a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Organizations that work directly with unhoused Hoosiers say the law is creating growing anxiety because many communities still lack enough shelter beds, mental health resources and transitional housing options to absorb the people likely to be displaced once enforcement begins.
Advocates warn the new policy risks shifting homelessness from a housing and treatment issue into a criminal justice issue, especially in counties where service providers say there is simply nowhere else for people to go.
Supporters of the law say the measure is meant to address public health and safety concerns tied to long-term encampments while encouraging people to connect with services.
But providers say the concern is not the goal -- it is the lack of infrastructure in place before the law takes effect.
With less than three months before enforcement begins, shelters and outreach groups say the pressure is now on local communities to expand beds, improve coordination and avoid pushing vulnerable people deeper into the court system.