Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute

09/05/2026

Who walks by this sign and says “ooooh!”? Our director does! We will never pass up an opportunity to learn something that can help us move toward an economy that works for us all.

09/04/2026

🚨 Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to eligible individuals in the counties covered by Gov. Braun's major disaster declaration.

DUA supports workers and self-employed individuals whose employment was directly affected by the disaster and who may not qualify for regular unemployment insurance. The deadline to file for DUA is October 27th.

DUA information, including answers to frequently asked questions, are available at in.gov/dwd/indiana-unemployment/individuals/dua/ or through the Customer Support Center. DWD’s Customer Support Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday and can be reached at 1-800-891-6499.

📖 Read the press release with full eligibility guidelines here: https://www.in.gov/dwd/newsroom/blog/august-2026-dua

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) serves Indiana citizens by providing job search assistance and training as well as providing a variety of services to Hoosier businesses. DWD also provides unemployment services to individuals and employers.

09/03/2026

Fair Housing regulations help ensure Hoosiers have equal access to housing. In Indiana, there is only one fair housing non-profit, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana.
https://buff.ly/NtCnMWS

The state's only fair housing advocate says it will fold if a lawsuit challenging the rule isn't successful.

09/03/2026

💭 What happens when the cost of SNAP shifts to states?

Indiana could soon face significantly higher costs for administering and funding SNAP as a result of the "One Big Beautiful Bill."

Starting October 1, Indiana’s portion of the administrative costs is increasing from 50% to 75% — an estimated additional $47 million in annual expenses to the state budget. Furthermore, beginning in October 2027, Indiana taxpayers may be required to shoulder a 5%, 10%, or 15% burden of the benefits themselves based on how high our payment error rate is. That could be an additional cost of $71.5 million, $143.0 million, or $214.4 million.

Read more from Indiana Capital Chronicle 👇️
https://buff.ly/1DjZsG3

Indiana's SNAP program is set to cost state taxpayers a lot more under federal legislation going into affect this year.

09/02/2026

New report alert! Through a partnership with CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, the Institute has recently released a research publication on oral health care access, barriers and impacts, in Indiana. Read the full report online: institute.incap.org/reports

09/01/2026

The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana is holding a free event on the impact of private equity on fair housing! Check out the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author who will be attending at the link and get your free ticket. https://buff.ly/RfAbnJE

A conversation with award-winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson about the fair housing impact of private equity in Hoosiers' daily lives.

08/31/2026

Indiana is requesting permission to change HIP in two major ways:
1. Limiting the number of people who can receive health insurance if they feel they do not have enough money
2. Adding copayments of $5-35 for certain health needs

They are calling this new version “HIP 3.0"

➡️ The full draft of HIP 3.0 can be viewed here: https://buff.ly/l2AstIT

Written comments on the proposal may be submitted through September 4, 2026.

📨 Email: [email protected]
Attn: Secretary Mitch Roob

📫️ Mail:
Family and Social Services Administration
Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning
Attn: Secretary E. Mitchell (Mitch) Roob
402 West Washington Street, Room W374
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

08/30/2026

TANF turns 30!🎈

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides cash assistance to struggling families to help them meet their basic needs. TANF is one of the only programs that provides families with direct cash assistance. It helps those families keep the lights on, buy medicine for a sick child, and put gas in the car.

👉️ To learn more about TANF in Indiana, read our report on Indiana’s bipartisan TANF reform in 2023: https://buff.ly/RyzcU7I

08/29/2026

⏰️ SNAP Benefit Replacement due to storm damages, floods or power outages, deadline to submit affidavit has been EXTENDED to August 31st ⏰️

This assistance is for all 53 counties impacted by the Governor's disaster emergency declaration: Allen, Bartholomew, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Morgan, Newton, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Union, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne and White counties.

Affected individuals will need to submit an affidavit for replacement benefits.

The document may be uploaded to the FSSA Benefits Portal, faxed to 888-436-9199 or dropped off at any Division of Family Resources’ office.

👉️ Find the affidavit here https://buff.ly/EEML85o

🌐 FSSA Benefits Portal https://buff.ly/YILkqrD

📍 Find your local DFR Office https://buff.ly/W9ogdG0

08/28/2026

We are extending our sincere thanks to Tara and Tyler for organizing last night’s listening session. We heard from NICU families and nurses about the life-changing reality of having a baby need NICU care, and what we can do to ensure families are better supported.

⏱️ Once again, we heard that paid family leave matters - to families with babies in the NICU and beyond.

💪🏽 Now we roll up our sleeves and get to work.

📣 Share your experience. Help us better understand the challenges NICU families face!

Thank you to Peterman Brothers - HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical for helping our Time Matters Coalition host a listening session on August 27th from 6:30-8:00pm at their headquarters in Greenwood, IN.

Please contact [email protected] for more information and to RSVP!

We can offer childcare support funds to a limited number of families.