For some Gary residents, July 1 could bring new hurdles to keeping food assistance. For people experiencing homelessness, it could mean the possibility of fines or jail time for camping or sleeping on public property. And for city leaders trying to tackle blight, it could open a new pathway for selling vacant lots.
The changes stem from three new laws: a statewide camping ban, new restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, and a property measure written specifically for Gary. Together, they are among dozens of state laws taking effect this summer that will affect residents, local governments and public assistance programs across Indiana.
The homelessness law
Senate Bill 285, signed by Gov. Mike Braun after a 28-22 Senate vote, makes it illegal to camp, sleep, or set up long-term shelter on state or locally owned government property unless that land has been designated for such use.
Under the law, police officers who encounter someone camping illegally must first determine whether they are “gravely disabled.” The law expands that definition to include some unsheltered people living outdoors in dangerous weather who have refused transportation to an available shelter or treatment provider. If an officer determines emergency detention is not necessary, the person must first receive a warning and information about available services. Anyone still camping within 300 feet of the location 48 hours later could face a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The law includes several exceptions. A person cannot be convicted if no shelter or treatment bed is available within 5 miles or if they were released from a mental health facility within the previous six months. Local governments may also operate diversion programs that direct people to housing and services instead of citations.
Supporters say the measure is designed to help people access services before a crisis occurs.
“This bill started from a place of compassion,” said state Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis, the bill’s author. She has argued the law could save lives by getting people into shelter and treatment.
Critics, including some law enforcement officials, have raised concerns about enforcement and cost.
Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon, president of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, told the the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code during the state’s legislative session that county jails should not become de facto shelters and warned the financial burden would fall on local taxpayers. A legislative fiscal analysis estimated that housing someone for a full 60-day sentence could cost a county jail between roughly $3,360 and $4,740, based on 2023 average daily jail costs.
For Gary, the law arrives as the city is scheduled to begin construction on a new homeless shelter this summer. The city has committed $3 million to relocate and expand Brothers’ Keeper, the men’s shelter that has operated out of 21st and Broadway since 1986.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton called the project “a safe, dignified residential and resource center for men” when the city unveiled the plans in February.
SNAP and Medicaid get stricter
Senate Bill 1, signed by Braun in March, adds new restrictions for some SNAP and Medicaid recipients. Most of the changes take effect July 1.
The law tightens eligibility rules for SNAP and adds new verification requirements for some applicants. According to state estimates, the changes could remove more than 3,000 households from the program and save the state about $635,000 over the next two years.
Among the changes, Indiana will place stricter limits on how much money and other assets a household can have and still qualify for SNAP. The state will also end a policy that allowed some households to qualify more easily for benefits.
The law changes how household income is counted as well. Income from some household members who do not qualify for SNAP will now be included when determining eligibility for others in the home. As a result, some families could see their benefits reduced or eliminated.
The measure also adds new immigration-verification requirements for SNAP and Medicaid applicants and eliminates an exemption that allowed some parents of 14- to 17-year-olds to avoid SNAP work requirements.
Separate federal changes are also expanding work requirements. Able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 who do not qualify for an exemption must document at least 80 hours a month of work, job training, or volunteer service to continue receiving benefits beyond three months in a three-year period.
State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, the bill’s author, said the changes are intended to reduce fraud and improve oversight of public assistance programs.
“It’s not that we don’t trust these people, it’s that we have to verify it,” Garten said during a legislative hearing.
Anti-hunger advocates have challenged that argument, saying the new requirements could make it harder for eligible residents to keep or obtain benefits.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Indiana had already lost more than 47,000 SNAP recipients as of February 2026 following earlier federal changes. State restrictions taking effect July 1 are expected to further reduce participation.
A law written just for Gary
Senate Bill 232, authored by state Sen. Mark Spencer, D-Gary, allows the city to hire its own appraiser to help establish prices for city-owned property sales.
Gary owns roughly 7,000 vacant or abandoned residential and commercial properties. Supporters say the law gives the city another tool to return some of those properties to productive use.
The legislation allows the city to appraise up to 10 residential properties and 10 commercial properties of at least 5 acres each year. The city must then publish average residential values per square foot and average commercial values per acre on its website annually.
Those averages can be used to establish minimum offering prices when selling other residential and commercial parcels during the same year.
The law also prohibits city employees and elected or appointed officials from purchasing properties appraised under the program, creating a conflict-of-interest safeguard.
Unless renewed by lawmakers, the measure will expire at the end of 2029.
