Every November, one phrase starts showing up everywhere: home for the holidays. Images of families and friends gathered around the table, laughing, secure and happy. However, for many of our neighbors, this is merely an image, something out of a greeting card or a holiday ad, not the reality so many are living.

We’ve written about hidden homelessness before on the Nest blog, and it is one of the most common topics we are asked about. So this month we’ll be covering this topic again because this is one of the most common ways to experience homelessness in La Porte County.

So this season we’re asking again: what happens to “home for the holidays” when home isn’t stable, or isn’t there at all?

What Is Hidden Homelessness?

When most people picture someone who is unhoused, they picture someone sleeping outside, and while this is correct, it isn’t the whole picture. The living situation people find themselves in is just as complicated as the people themselves. For those experiencing hidden homelessness, here are a few of the most common ways we see it in La Porte County:

  • Sleeping on a friend’s couch, one week at a time
  • Doubled up with family in a spare room or on the living room floor
  • Paying by the week at a motel because first month’s rent and a deposit are out of reach
  • Sleeping in their car between shifts

These neighbors often don’t appear in official counts, such as the Point-in-Time Count. These community members take their kids to school and shop at the same stores we do. These are hard-working individuals striving to keep a roof over their heads, responsible people who, despite their best efforts, aren’t able to make enough to keep stable housing in our community.

Why It’s Happening Here

The rent is higher than the paycheck.

According to the 2026 Out of Reach report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a modest two-bedroom apartment in the Michigan City–La Porte area rents for $1,152 a month. So, by the general affordability rule to afford this without spending more than 30% of one’s income and utilities, some would need to make $46,080 a year, or $22.15 an hour at full-time hours. The median La Porte County household income is $43,166. That means the typical renter is already short.

For a worker earning Indiana’s $7.25 minimum wage, the math gets much worse:

  • 101 hours a week to afford a one-bedroom
  • 122 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom

There are only 168 hours in a week.

This is how hidden homelessness happens in our community.

Working, and Still One Bill Away

The United Way’s 2026 ALICE report counts households that are working but can’t cover the basics: housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a phone. ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed.

In La Porte County:

  • 43% of households (18,503 of 43,030) are below the ALICE threshold; this is almost half of all households in our county.
  • 13% live below the federal poverty line, and the child (under 18) poverty rate is 20.4%, according to Hoosiers by the Numbers.
  • 30% earn above the poverty line, but not enough to get by, meaning they make too much money to qualify for support but not enough to survive with stability.

When nearly half of our county’s households are one car repair, one medical bill, or one rent increase away from crisis, the couch and the spare room become the safety net. That’s where hidden homelessness starts.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Across Indiana, the ALICE data shows that some households carry more of the weight than others:

  • Single mothers: 72% of households headed by a single woman are below the ALICE threshold
  • Single fathers: 49%
  • Older Adults: half of households headed by someone 65 or older are below it, many on fixed incomes while rent keeps rising

Behind those numbers are children whose most stable place is their classroom. Older neighbors living on a fixed income can be one lease renewal away from losing their home, and parents working full-time who still can’t close the gap. These are members of our community who all want the same thing: a safe, stable place to call home.

What This Series Will Cover & How to Help

Over the next month, we’ll go where hidden homelessness lives: couches, cars, motels, classrooms, workplaces, and kitchen tables. We’ll share what we see at Nest every day, and what each of us can do about it.

Home isn’t only an address. It’s a community that notices, provides support, and takes positive action.

This holiday season, be the reason someone finds stability, safety, and home. Please consider making a donation to support our work

 

 

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