Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute

05/31/2026

No more maybes for babies! Babies need more than good intentions. Strong policies help babies thrive. When families are supported, communities thrive too!

As we near the end of this May All Babies Thrive Month, we're highlighting policies that help families build strong foundations from the start.

05/30/2026

Utility affordability is a growing concern that we see reflected clearly in our statewide community needs assessments. As prices continue to rise for essential budget items like housing, utilities, and food, families across Indiana are forced to make impossible financial tradeoffs just to keep their electricity on or a roof over their heads.

Huge shout out to Policy Fellow Lindsay O'Neil for sharing her story of navigating unaffordable utility bills - a story that has become all-too-familiar for many families across Indiana.

Energy groups predict data centers will double Indiana's power demands. Can the state prevent ratepayers from absorbing the cost?

05/28/2026

😀 We love hearing back from participants in our research interviews and other studies.

❓️ Did you know that our team at the Institute regularly engages with Hoosiers all across the state through surveys, interviews, and focus groups?

🎯 It's one way that we ensure that our research and advocacy are responsive to community needs.

05/23/2026

Thanks to Zoe Reed and Indiana Daily Student for explaining the recent changes to SNAP and what we're hearing from Hoosiers in our focus groups.

Among the many concerns are the new work requirements and the pace of the changes. "'They’re worried that they won’t be able to meet the hours requirements because they don’t have control over how many hours they can work — that’s up to their employer,' [Institute Director Erin] Macey said.

Macey said part of what makes the current moment especially difficult is the pace of the changes themselves; some have been implemented with little time for people to learn what’s been rolled out and what’s still coming."

Federal and state SNAP changes threaten food access for Indiana’s most vulnerable residents.

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

Policy Analyst Lauren Murfree had a wonderful time at the Indiana BoS CoC Spring Development Day Conference! The amazing work done by this network of direct service providers and many more who work to help those who are struggling with housing instability is key to so many Hoosiers. We are always grateful to be in community with others working to make Indiana better for all!

05/21/2026

No person should have to take out a credit card to meet their healthcare needs. Medical debt is haunting Americans, and our lawmakers need to act to protect constituents.

405 likes, 117 comments. "Critics slam medical credit cards as patient shares account of being signed up in hospital"

05/20/2026

This week, Olivia and Rebecca are attending a convening in Washington, D.C. where Olivia served on “The Road Ahead: Next Wins Discussion” Panel. All across this country, we all want to see more wins on in the years ahead!

05/20/2026

The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana brings to light important context around eviction processes in Marion County in their new report (https://buff.ly/mxTeLI1 ) such as the act of "forum shopping" that landlords in Marion County do to avoid certain township courts when filing evictions.

05/19/2026

Good news in - the State of Indiana just expanded paid parental leave for its employees to include foster placements!

We want to thank Governor Braun for this expansion of parental leave to include more families, and also to reiterate that ALL Hoosiers deserve the ability to care for their families when it matters most.

Whether you're welcoming a new child into your family, caring for a sick spouse, or supporting a parent at the end of life, paid family and medical leave is a critical workforce policy that helps businesses, communities, and families thrive -- and there's plenty of work left to do to make that a reality here in Indiana!

Read more: https://buff.ly/FTz0KhI