City of Bloomington Releases Comprehensive Report on Housing and Homelessness

The Thomson administration has released a comprehensive report outlining how the City of Bloomington is responding to homelessness and the community’s evolving housing landscape, while working to maintain public safety and quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors.

The report summarizes work undertaken since Mayor Kerry Thomson took office in 2024, including investments in affordable housing and prevention, support for local shelters and service providers, daily field operations to keep public spaces functional, and efforts to rebuild public safety capacity and expand non-police crisis response.

Released near the administration’s midpoint, the report shows how early crisis response and systems stabilization have progressed into targeted, long-term strategies aimed at building a more durable and coordinated regional approach to homelessness.

“Homelessness is not a single-issue challenge—it is intertwined with housing supply, behavioral health, and the everyday realities of how people live, work, and move through our city,” said Mayor Thomson. “This report shows where we have taken meaningful action, where systems are still strained, and how we are working with partners to create pathways to stability while keeping Bloomington safe, welcoming, and functional for everyone.”

Organized into six major areas of work, the document details the City’s approach to:

• Preventing homelessness by expanding housing options, stabilizing existing homes, and modernizing development and permitting processes
• Supporting shelters and frontline providers through funding, coordination, and increased case-management capacity
• Addressing short-term impacts through clean-ups, ambassador teams, and business assistance
• Bolstering public safety by rebuilding police capacity and expanding non-police crisis response
• Co-creating solutions in collaboration with nonprofits, faith partners, businesses, and regional jurisdictions
• Investing in economic development to align jobs, housing, and revenue long-term

The report also notes the role of one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act funding and underscores the need to build durable systems and partnerships that will continue after those dollars sunset in 2027.

“Our commitment is simple: a Bloomington where people feel safe, supported, and able to build their lives. That requires persistence, coordination, and clarity about what the City can—and cannot—do alone,” said Mayor Thomson.

The full report—including a detailed breakdown of investments—is available at bton.in/hrhi.