Homelessness and Addiction Statistics in Indiana

Homelessness and addiction are pressing issues in Indiana, with both problems often interconnected. Many factors contribute to this complex relationship, including economic hardships, lack of access to affordable housing, and limited resources for addiction treatment. Let’s check out the latest statistics on homelessness and addiction in Indiana. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Homelessness affects individuals across various age groups in Indiana. However, people aged 35-44 and 45-54 are disproportionately affected. 

• The Indiana Criminal Justice Data Snapshot in 2022 revealed that drug overdoses resulted in 2,876 deaths, while alcohol drinking was responsible for 2,265 deaths.

• Indiana has witnessed a concerning rise in drug overdose deaths, with fatalities increasing from 923 in 2010 to 1,809 in 2017.

• According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, 74% of adult arrestees in Indianapolis in 2001 tested positive for illicit drug use.

• In Muncie, 65% of the homeless population is addicted to substances. 

• Only 21.7% of tenants in supportive housing facilities in Evansville report having received treatment for their substance abuse.

Homelessness in Indiana Statistics

Homelessness in Indiana numbers include:

• As of January 2023, the Indiana Balance of State, encompassing 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties (excluding Marion County), recorded 4,398 individuals experiencing homelessness. It represents an increase of 710 people compared to the previous year, according to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. The age breakdown of the homeless population in Indiana is as follows:

• In 2019, Indiana recorded a total homeless population of 3,904, with 3,367 individuals sheltered and 537 unsheltered. 

• IU Public Policy Institute (PPI) and the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) conduct Marion County’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which records the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. In 2021, the PIT count identified 1,928 individuals, which marks a 21% increase from the 2020 count of 1,588 and is the highest number recorded in the past decade. 

• Indianapolis Business Journal reports that the PIT count in 2023 identified 1,619 homeless individuals, which is an 8% decline from 1,761 in 2022 and a 16% decrease from the peak during the pandemic, which saw 1,928 individuals in 2021.

Addiction in Indiana Statistics

Here are some statistics that reflect the state of addiction in Indiana:

• In 2019, Indiana ranked 19th in the nation for overdose rates and averaged four deaths per day, as per the Indiana Department of Health. Among these fatalities, Black individuals, comprising only 13% of the state’s population, experienced the highest overdose rate at 28.2 per 100,000 people.

• According to Indiana University:

• Drug overdoses in Indiana have almost doubled from 923 in 2010 to 1,809 in 2017
• Around 4,000 Indiana residents have died from opioids from 2010 to 2020 
• From 2000 to 2014, Indiana’s drug-induced mortality rate has increased four times
• Between 2012 and 2016, deaths related to synthetic opioids in Indiana surged by over 600%

• The drug overdose death rate in Indiana has risen from 15.3 per 100,000 in 2011 to 43 per 100,000 in 2021, as per CDC’s reported data. 

• The Indiana government reported that in 2021, about 10.6% of the state’s population aged 12 and older had alcohol use disorder.

• In the 2021 Indiana College Substance Use Survey conducted by the Indiana University School of Public Health, 55.6% of the participants reported drinking alcohol in the past month, including 40.4% of those under 21. 

• According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Data Snapshot in 2022, drug overdoses resulted in 2,876 deaths, while alcohol drinking was responsible for 2,265 deaths. 

• A study by the Indiana and Purdue universities examined the overlap between drug overdoses and firearm injuries in Indianapolis from 2018 to 2020. It found that 75% of the city’s census tracts with high firearm injury rates also had high opioid overdose rates. 

• According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, 74% of adult arrestees in Indianapolis in 2001 tested positive for illicit drug use, which surpassed the national average of 67%.

• According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute data, in 2020, the rate of imprisonment for violent crimes rose by 52% compared to 1990, whereas the rate for drug offenses declined by 35%.

• On January 1, 2021, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) reported a total of 24,734 individuals in their system, with 29.25% (or 7,234 individuals) having one or more drug offenses.

Homelessness and Addiction Statistics by County

County-wise homelessness and addiction statistics in Indiana include:

• According to the Indiana Youth Institute 2021 report, in 2019, Delaware County had 21,315 children, of whom 102 were identified as homeless. In 2020, the number of reported homeless students was only 56. 

• The Indiana Youth Institute also found that in 2019, 53.8% of children in Delaware County faced housing insecurity, with their parents spending 30% or more of their income on rent.

• According to the City of Muncie’s 2019 Annual Action Plan, 65% of Muncie’s homeless population is addicted to substances and 46% require treatment for mental illness. 

• Indiana’s leading local newspaper, South Bend Tribune, reports that there are 469 homeless individuals in St. Joseph County as of January 2022. 

• Out of the 469 people classified as homeless, 36 were considered unsheltered. Emergency housing programs, including those at the Center for the Homeless, accommodated 326 individuals, while transitional housing units hosted 107 people.

• Among the known homeless population in St. Joseph County, 151 individuals have a serious mental illness and 155 have a substance use disorder.

• The University of Southern Indiana studied tenants living in supportive housing facilities in Evansville and found that the majority of tenants reported a history of drug or alcohol abuse (60.9%), while a significantly smaller proportion (21.7%) reported having received treatment for their substance abuse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Main Cause of Homelessness in Indiana?

Homelessness in Indiana is caused by a combination of poverty and insufficient low-income housing options.

For example, Butler’s University reports that in Indianapolis, approximately 12.7% of the population, totaling 102,990 people, live below the poverty level. The supply of affordable housing has decreased by around 30% over the past decade and left only 17,453 rental units available for 26,217 extremely low-income households. Around 14,500 households in Indianapolis spend half of their income on housing and are at risk of homelessness. 

Is It Illegal to Be Homeless in Indiana?

Being homeless is not inherently illegal in Indiana. However, certain activities associated with homelessness, such as loitering, trespassing, or public camping, are subject to local ordinances or laws. 

Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Bloomington, and Jeffersonville have strict laws that criminalize panhandling and living in vehicles in public spaces. 

What is the Crime Rate for Drugs in Indiana?

In Indiana, the crime rate for drugs is 1.390 per 1,000 residents during a standard year, according to CrimeGrade. Drug-related crimes include possession, distribution, manufacturing, and trafficking of illegal substances. For a deeper insight into the crime rate for drugs in Indiana, read our post on Indiana drug-related crime statistics.

Data Sources

1. https://www.in.gov/ihcda/files/ihcda_CoC_PIT_FLYER_082423.pdf

2. https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/indiana/

3. https://www.in.gov/fssa/dmha/files/Drug-Fact-Sheet_2023_ADA_final.pdf

4. https://addictions.iu.edu/understanding-crisis/crisis-in-indiana.html

5. https://collegesurvey.indiana.edu/publications/ICSUS_Survey_2021.pdf

6. https://justicereinvestmentinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Indiana-Criminal-Justice-Data-Snapshot_accessible.pdf

7. https://www.in.gov/health/overdose-prevention/files/Behind_the_Numbers_Report2020_Final.pdf

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35781347/

9. https://www.in.gov/cji/grant-opportunities/files/The-Effects-of-the-2014-Criminal-Code-Reform-on-Drug-Convictions-in-Indiana-Infographic.pdf

10. https://policyinstitute.iu.edu/doc/pit-count-2021.pdf

11. https://www.ibj.com/articles/indy-point-in-time-count-finds-8-drop-in-homeless-population

12. https://assets.sites.bsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2021/06/22093437/2021-Delaware-County-Needs-Assessment.pdf

13. https://www.muncie.in.gov/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=detail&id=250

14. https://www.in.gov/idoc/files/policy-and-procedure/2021-DOC-Annual-Report.pdf

15. https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/07/19/fewer-homeless-in-st-joseph-county-incidence-of-mental-illness-worse/65374415007/