Catalyst Rescue Mission in Jeffersonville is nearing capacity and residents are staying longer because permanent housing options, vouchers and public housing units are scarce.
Catalyst Rescue Mission in Jeffersonville is near capacity with about 120 people and average shelter stays have roughly doubled.
Local housing authorities report limited turnover in public units and rising market rents that put apartments out of reach for many households.
Shelter staff can complete case management but cannot move people into housing because there simply aren’t enough available affordable units or vouchers.
# The situation in brief Catalyst Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Jeffersonville, is close to full. Shelter leadership says the number of people staying has grown and average stays have nearly doubled because permanent housing options are not available. Residents who complete case management often have nowhere to move next.
# Who is affected Debbie Ramsay, a shelter resident who lost her Scott County home to a fire, illustrates the pattern: she spent time in hotels and emergency shelters before arriving at Catalyst. She applied for housing months ago and hasn't heard back. She lives in a room with 10 people and says she wants "a place I can call home." Many others at the shelter face similar waits.
# What shelter leaders are reporting Jim Moon, interim executive director at Catalyst, says the shelter has been forced to add more floor mats and rearrange rooms to fit people. He posted about a "critical bed shortage." Last week about 118 people were staying there, near the shelter's capacity, and roughly 40% had completed the shelter's case management requirements but still could not move to permanent housing.
Moon attributes longer stays to a lack of housing options: public housing waitlists are long, some Housing Choice Voucher Program waitlists are closed due to lack of federal funding, and market rents are high. He gave an example of the gap between local wages and rents: people earning between $13 and $20 an hour cannot afford rents in the $1,350 to $1,800 per month range.
# What housing authorities say
New Albany Housing Authority spokesperson Courtney Lewis said demand remains "consistently high." That authority manages more than 800 public housing units and about 336 project-based vouchers. Across its lists there are more than 500 people waiting. Its Housing Choice Voucher waitlist has been closed since April 2025 and has more than 350 families listed.
Lewis noted that people seeking public housing assistance may not be the same as emergency shelter clients, but shortages in one area affect the other.
# Broader indicators Regional data cited by local agencies show widespread financial strain: Metro United Way information indicates two in five households in the Greater Louisville area face financial hardship and struggle to cover necessities. Housing authorities and shelter staff link rising market rents and limited federal funding for vouchers and public housing to increasing demand for emergency shelter.
# Immediate operational impacts Catalyst's response has been operational adjustments—adding bedding, rearranging rooms, and continuing case management services—but those are stopgap measures. Without more affordable units, more vouchers, or increased turnover in public housing, shelter stays are likely to remain longer and capacity pressures will continue.
# What residents want
The poorest people in the U.S. face the most acute shortage of affordable homes
Low-income organizations in Joplin are reporting increased demand for assistance due to rising costs for gas, groceries, and housing, which has led to significant shortages in affordable rental options.
Looming Medicaid funding cuts and changes to assessments could reduce services to thousands of Northwest Indiana residents, Opportunity Enterprises President and CEO Neil Samahon said.
The Metanoia Project, a nearly 20-year seasonal shelter serving up to 45 people a night in Cuyahoga County, says it cannot afford to open this winter and may permanently close by Dec. 31.
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