Initiatives aimed at reducing evictions in Indiana are presenting tenants and landlords new opportunities to work together so that renters aren’t put out on the street. Property owners also can benefit from new programs that aim to stabilize housing and reduce evictions, which are costly for renters and landlords.
A statewide pre-eviction diversion program went into effect Monday. There is funding available to assist people who fell behind on their rent due to COVID-19, and among other things, the program aims to help expedite this aid that’s been slow-moving in Indiana.
Under the pre-eviction diversion program authorized statewide by the Indiana Supreme Court, tenants and landlords will be offered the opportunity to mediate before a formal eviction proceeding goes to court. Renters will be able to apply for the diversion program if an eviction action is filed against them.
As Bartholomew Superior Court 2 Judge Jon Rohde explained, the program is “available only if both parties to the eviction agree to participate. … We will give the proper information to the parties about the program, and then inquire if both parties agree to resolve their dispute through the program,” Rohde told The Republic’s Mark Webber. “If they both agree, a case management plan will be developed to ensure the case is resolved. If they do not agree, the eviction would proceed according to the normal legal eviction process.”
This is a good, common-sense program. We encourage tenants and landlords to take the opportunity to work toward agreements where everyone benefits, and to explore whether some form of rental assistance may be available. After all, the rules are different, and the opportunities for compromise and agreement are greater, when both parties are at the same table working toward a resolution instead of at opposing tables in court.
The need for this kind of program in Indiana cannot be understated. According to the nonprofit Eviction Lab, the Indianapolis area has the 14th highest rate of eviction in the nation. Eviction Lab says 7.27% of Indianapolis-area renters faced eviction in 2016. Fort Wayne was even higher — No. 13 in the nation with an eviction rate of 7.39%. South Bend was 18th with a rate of 6.71%.
Through Oct. 28, 346 evictions were filed this year in Bartholomew County. Comparisons with prior years are difficult because Indiana courts only recently began specifically tracking eviction cases.
Beyond the statistics, every eviction can devastate and stigmatize tenants, especially families. Children frequently are forced to change schools, and renters may lose property when it’s piled on the street or placed in storage.
And those are only the immediate impacts. Evictions become a part of a person’s record, which can harm their ability to secure new housing and can lead to job loss and affect a person’s mental health. According to Eviction Lab, “The evidence strongly indicates that eviction is not just a condition of poverty, it is a cause of it.”
We don’t dispute there will continue to be cases where eviction will be necessary. But where there is a will among renters and landlords to avoid the pain, hardship and expense of eviction, the courts have provided a way.
