United Way of Monroe County, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, and the South Central Housing Network (SCHN) have released the “Heading Home 2021: A Regional Plan for Making Homelessness Rare, Brief, and Non-Repeating.” This plan is intended serve as a community guide to support long-term initiatives in reducing and eliminating regional housing insecurity and homelessness in Monroe County.

The plan focuses on the Housing First model, a broad philosophy to house people impacted by homelessness as quickly as possible. Having stable housing creates a foundation that better equips households to address the underlying issues that resulted in housing insecurity and/or homelessness. 

Recommendations include creating two full-time positions, housed initially at the United Way, to help implement the plan. Organizers are seeking funding from the City of Bloomington, Monroe County and other sources.

Read the Heading Home 2021 report here.

The City of Bloomington has released survey results showing preferences for how to spend American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the city is receiving.

Of the 147 responses, priorities were: 36% housing insecurity, 31% public infrastructure, 23% jobs/economic recovery, and 10% city revenue replacement. The choice of these "bucket" categories had already been determined by the city.
Read more about the survey here.

The City of Bloomington is seeking responses to an RFQ (request for qualifications) for managing the Waldron Art Center. The deadline to respond is 12 p.m. on Friday, August. 13.

The city wants an entity "to manage the city-owned facility as an arts center for no less than five years, embrace the facility’s core users (including WFHB, community artists, and arts organizations), conduct joint marketing efforts with these stakeholders, lead fundraising activities, maintain the structure and its building systems, and actively pursue community outreach for diversity and to build audiences."

Read the RFQ here.

Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County, a program co-sponsored by the Indiana University Alumni Association and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce – is accepting applications for the 2021-22 cohort. The deadline to apply is Sept. 17.

​The 7-month program, which costs $1,000, includes classes every other Thursday from October through April. Classes meet from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The course includes a small group project that addresses a community need or opportunity. 

Click here for more information and to apply.

A development that will add 340 apartments with a total of 900 bedrooms on the former Kmart site was unanimously approved at the July 12 meeting of the Bloomington Plan Commission. No city council approval is required.

Called the District at Latimer Square, the nearly 12-acre property at 3216 E. 3rd St. is being developed by Trinitas Ventures. The site includes the Bloomingfoods East store, which will remain in place. The plan calls for five residential buildings, one leasing and amenity building, and a 385-space parking structure. Trinitas expects the project will be finished by mid-2023. 

Read materials in the Plan Commission packet here. Watch the July 12 meeting on CATS here.

Bloomington coucilmembers Susan Sandberg (At-Large) and Dave Rollo (District 4) have scheduled their first joint constituent session for Saturday, July 17 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Bloomington City Hall's McCloskey Room, 401 N. Morton.

Several other councilembers have been holding regular constituent sessions: Matt Flaherty (At-Large) on 3rd Mondays at 5:30 p.m., Isabel Piedmont-Smith (District 5) on 2nd Saturdays at 11, Kate Rosenbarger (District 1) as announced, and Sue Sgambelluri (District 2) on 1st Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.

More information about the Bloomington Council is here. The council's next meeting is on Wednesday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The Small Business Association (SBA) and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) will be available to talk to businesses,  renters, and homeowners to discuss applying for low-interest loans for recent flood damage.

Individuals who do not qualify for a loan might be eligible for assistance through the Indiana Disaster Relief Fund.

Specialists will be available at the Monroe County Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave., during these hours:

• Friday, July 9: 8-5
• Saturday, July 10: Noon-5
• Monday-Friday, July 12-16: 8-5

Click here for a fact sheet on SBA disaster loans.

Businesses in Bloomington and Monroe County can apply to participate in the gBETA Main Street program, which helps early-stage firms accelerate their growth.

The free, 7-week program includes mentoring and coaching, lunch & learn sessions, and one-on-one meetings with subject matter experts and successful small business owners. The program is open to any kind of business.

The deadline to apply is July 19. More info and an online application form here.

The 11-county region known as the Uplands – which includes Monroe County – will be submitting a proposal for funding through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI).

The Uplands proposal is being led by Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) and Radius. They are asking organizations and individuals to provide information on potential projects and programs that have the capacity to grow the region’s economic outcomes through investments in place-based talent, business, and quality of place opportunities. 

Read more about this initiative here. Submit your project ideas here. The deadline to submit ideas is July 30.

Monroe County is forming a small task force to start discussing and reviewing recommendations in the recent Criminal Justice & Incarceration Study.

At the June 30, 2021 meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners, county attorney Margie Rice asked for feedback on creating a task force of elected officials. The group would include members of the Monroe County Commissioners, Monroe County Council, the Health Department, prosecutor, public defender and Board of Judges. 

Another public meeting is set for July 7 at 5:30 p.m. via this Zoom link.

Click here to listen to the criminal justice study discussion on CATS. Read the Criminal Justice & Incarceration Study here.