Local
Indianapolis weighs cleanup of Fall Creek Trail encampment, with housing help first
City officials are preparing plans to address a growing encampment beside Fall Creek Trail near the Monon, where trail users say belongings and trash have spread into view. The city has not set a cleanup date and says residents must be helped find places to live before items can be removed.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis officials are preparing to address a growing encampment beside Fall Creek Trail near the Monon, but have not set a date for cleanup. A city worker said items cannot be removed until people living at the site are helped find new places to live.
Trail users told local television reporters they began noticing the camp more than a year ago and have watched it grow. With thinner tree cover, the camp is more visible from the trail and a bridge connecting to the Monon, and some belongings and trash have spilled toward the path.
Jesus Aquiano said flooding along the creek brings more trash into view. Another trail user, Fritz Herdrich, described the conditions as an environmental concern and said he hopes the city can help people find housing.
The city’s Office of Public Health and Safety said it is aware of the camp. City workers were seen assessing the site Wednesday, Oct. 14, and the office said it planned to meet early the following week to discuss next steps. It had no cleanup timeline as of Oct. 14.
The encampment is part of a broader homelessness challenge in Indianapolis. The January 2026 point-in-time count found 1,821 people experiencing homelessness, about the same as the previous year. Of that total, 272 people — 15% — were unsheltered, according to the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.
The city’s Streets to Home Indy initiative, launched in July 2025, closed seven camps during its first year. By July 2026, the initiative had helped 220 people find housing, and 95% of those people remained housed, according to figures cited by the city.
The city’s stated approach makes housing assistance a prerequisite to clearing the Fall Creek site. That leaves the cleanup date uncertain while officials work on a plan for residents and the trail area.