Community outreach in Northwest Indiana means meeting people where they already are. Housing doesn’t get solved from behind a desk. The people who most need a safe, affordable room are often the hardest to reach through a website or a phone line — they’re in shelters, in transitional programs, at resource fairs, or sitting across from a caseworker who is trying to find them somewhere to sleep this week. So Affordable Living Company goes to where they already are.
This page is a running record of the community programs and outreach events we take part in across Northwest Indiana. We’ll keep adding to it as we attend more.
VNA Hospice NWI Military Stand Down — Merrillville, Indiana
On November 12, 2025, we set up a table at the VNA Hospice NWI Military Stand Down at the Dean and Barbara White Center in Merrillville, alongside more than fifty other organizations serving veterans across Lake and Porter counties.
The name comes from the Vietnam era, when troops were pulled back from the field to rest, get clean clothes, and take care of whatever needed taking care of. The modern version does the same job in a single afternoon. Veterans, active-duty service members and their families walk in with a DD-214, military ID or VA health care card, and walk out having spoken to housing providers, health care workers, benefits counselors, legal aid and employment services — all in one room, all free.
It’s a good model, and it works for a simple reason: it removes the part that usually stops people, which is having to find each of those services separately, on their own, while already under strain.
What we brought to the table
Hygiene kits, hand sanitizer, bottled water and clean wipes. Small things — but they’re exactly what runs out first when someone is living out of a bag, and they’re rarely what gets donated.
Next to the supplies we set out printed information about our shared housing in Hammond, and, more importantly, someone to talk to. Most conversations at that table started the same way: how fast could I actually move in?
Why a housing company belongs at a veterans event
Plenty of good programs exist for veterans in Indiana. What is often missing is the piece in between — somewhere to stay while the paperwork moves, the benefits process runs, or the waiting list clears.
That gap is the whole reason our model looks the way it does. A furnished private room with utilities already covered and no long-term lease can be ready in days, not months. It isn’t a substitute for a VA program or a permanent apartment. It’s the bridge that keeps someone off a couch or out of a car until the longer-term option comes through. Community outreach in Northwest Indiana works best when housing is easy to reach fast. For general renter guidance, see HUD’s renter resources.
We wrote more about that in affordable shared housing for veterans in Hammond, Indiana.
What we offer
The home we were featuring at the Stand Down is one of our men’s houses in Hammond. What’s included:
- A large private bedroom in a clean, fully furnished home
- Fully equipped shared kitchen and full bathrooms
- All utilities, free Wi-Fi and household essentials covered
- Comfortable shared common areas
- An on-site manager for support and safety
- No long-term lease — stay as long as you need to
- $750 per month, all in
We do not require a housing voucher, a program referral, a co-signer, a long-term lease, or a minimum income, and there is no waiting list. If you can pay the monthly rent and agree to the house rules, you are welcome to apply. There’s no complicated qualification process. You can see the full list on our services page.
The people who make these events work
Worth saying plainly: events like this run on volunteers. The people at the check-in desk greeting every veteran who walked through the door weren’t paid to be there. Neither were most of the folks behind the other fifty tables.
The 2025 Stand Down was sponsored in part by Strack & Van Til, Urschel Giving, Kankakee Valley REMC, UFS, 1st Source Bank, the American Legion Riders Charles Pratt Post #94, Benjamin F. Edwards, HealthLinc, White Oak Home Care, Team Chevrolet and UnitedHealthcare.
Events we’ve attended
- VNA Hospice NWI Military Stand Down — Dean and Barbara White Center, Merrillville, Indiana — November 12, 2025
Running an event? Invite us
If you organize a resource fair, stand down, re-entry program, recovery event or shelter outreach day anywhere in Lake County or Northwest Indiana, we’d like to be there. We’ll bring housing information, hygiene supplies, and someone who can answer real questions about availability on the spot.
We also work directly with caseworkers, veteran service officers, re-entry coordinators and shelter staff who need somewhere to place someone quickly.
Call or text 219-200-0497, email affordablelivingcompany@gmail.com, or use our contact page.
Housing for your situation
We have a dedicated page for each group we house, with pricing, FAQs and how to apply:
- Transitional housing in Northwest Indiana
- Shared housing for veterans
- Shared housing for seniors on a fixed income
- Re-entry housing after incarceration
- Housing for domestic violence survivors
- Areas we serve across Northwest Indiana
Check what is available
The fastest way to find out if we have a room is to ask. Check availability — five quick questions, no application and no documents. Or call or text 219-200-0497.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Affordable Living Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local fair housing law. Rooms are available to any applicant who meets our published house rules and screening requirements. Where we describe the situations of people we have housed, we are describing who has come to us, not stating a preference or limitation.
Community Outreach in Northwest Indiana: FAQs
Where does your community outreach in Northwest Indiana take place?
Our community outreach in Northwest Indiana happens across Lake County, including Hammond, Gary and Merrillville, wherever people are looking for help.
What kind of community outreach in Northwest Indiana does Affordable Living do?
Our community outreach in Northwest Indiana includes attending veteran and resource events, sharing housing information with people who need it, and working with local organizations that refer residents to us.
Can my organization invite Affordable Living to community outreach in Northwest Indiana events?
Yes. If you are planning community outreach in Northwest Indiana such as a resource fair or stand down, call or text 219-200-0497 and we will do our best to attend.
How does community outreach in Northwest Indiana help people find housing?
Through community outreach in Northwest Indiana we meet people where they are — at events, shelters and service agencies — and explain how to get into a safe, affordable room quickly.
Can caseworkers partner with you on community outreach in Northwest Indiana?
Absolutely. Caseworkers and nonprofits are key partners in our community outreach in Northwest Indiana. See our nonprofit partnership page to learn how referrals work.
