INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Prosperity Indiana applauds Chairman Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) and the members of the Conference Committee for SB 197 for removing from the bill language that would criminalize homelessness in Indiana. However, Prosperity Indiana urges Hoosiers to remain vigilant and warns that the proponents of this dangerous language are actively seeking a new legislative home in the final week of the session of the Indiana General Assembly.
Following thousands of calls and messages to the General Assembly from Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition's 'Zombie Legislation Action Alert', Chairman Freeman said during the Conference Committee hearing that this was the issue he had heard about the most this session. And while the Committee stripped the criminalization language from the bill. Senator Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) (who had previously pledged to remove the language) made an impassioned speech urging Hoosiers and his fellow legislators to beware of efforts to bring this legislation back in the final days of the session.
This 'zombie' legislative language has now failed in HB 1662 and SB 197, and has never been allowed public testimony in any bill that is still alive. This legislation makes being too poor to afford housing a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. This is not only cruel, it will further increase the barriers to housing for those in need by involving them in the judicial system. The zombie legislation is opposed by law enforcement, including the Indiana Sheriff's Association; veterans' groups, including Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF); and many housing and homelessness organizations, including Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition.
"It was a relief to see the criminalization of homelessness language removed from SB 197, although we know the work isn't done because that language could still reappear in another bill," said Andrew Bradley, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy for Prosperity Indiana. "Members of the housing, law enforcement, veterans', and faith communities agree: the criminalization of homelessness debate should be over for the 2025 session. Bringing back this zombie language would be bad process, as has this issue never been allowed public testimony in the Senate, or in any bill that's still alive. But more importantly, it's bad policy to create a new Class C Misdemeanor and force local law enforcement to jail Hoosiers up to 60 days and fine them $500 for not being able to afford a place to lay their head, without any promise of services or housing on the other side."
Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition will continue to monitor bills moving through the session and advocate that NO BILL BECOME LAW that includes the Criminalization of Homelessness language. We urge all Hoosiers to reach out to their House and Senate lawmakers with our ZOMBIE BILL ACTION ALERT.
###
About Prosperity Indiana
The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana builds a better future for our communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives. Since its founding in 1986, Prosperity Indiana’s network has grown to nearly 200 organizations, representing thousands of practitioners statewide from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
