Contact: Jessica Love, Executive Director, executivedirector@prosperityindiana.org, 317-222-1221 x402

Andrew Bradley, Policy Director, abradley@prosperityindiana.org, 317-222-1221 x403

INDIANAPOLIS – Prosperity Indiana thanks Governor Holcomb for listening to our call to ensure Hoosiers' housing is protected during the current public health emergency by issuing an Executive Order on Temporary Prohibitions on Evictions and Foreclosures. But beyond this response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prosperity Indiana calls on him to veto SEA 148 to make sure housing stability remains a long-term priority in the Hoosier state.

While the order provides a critical, temporary reprieve on evictions for the more than 30 percent of Indiana’s population who rents their homes, it does nothing to lessen the permanent damage that SEA 148 would inflict on the nearly two million Hoosier renters once the order is lifted.

Prosperity Indiana Executive Director Jessica Love said, “We applaud Governor Holcomb for recognizing that Hoosiers who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 will be sheltering in their homes throughout the duration of the pandemic. The governor clearly understands that an eviction would subject those individuals, and Indiana at large, to the ‘serious threat to the health, welfare, and safety’ that the coronavirus poses, should they be removed from their homes.

“However, housing stability is not a one-time health concern that only matters during a pandemic like we face today. Housing has impacts on the health and safety of families year-round, and this health crisis should only shine a light on the larger problems Hoosiers are facing related to widespread evictions in this state.”

Because the COVID-19 pandemic will have effects on Indiana’s economy and preexisting affordable housing and evictions crises that will long outlast any temporary measure, Prosperity Indiana and its partners in speaking out against the bill remain concerned about the dangerous, unvetted language in SEA 148. All of the concerns that the hundreds of statewide organizations and individuals who spoke out against SEA 148, after being shut out of the legislative process, still stand.

Love said, “Although tenants who express concerns about unaddressed habitability issues– while spending more time than ever in their homes to avoid or recover from COVID-19 – will temporarily receive a reprieve from evictions, the day will come when angry, bad actor landlords can retaliate once again. So, we are looking to the governor now to see beyond the present health crisis and respond to this bad bill with a veto today.”

See the original letter calling on the Governor to veto SEA 148 along with supporting documents: https://www.prosperityindiana.org/Policy-News/8840057

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About Indiana Association for Community Economic Development D/B/A Prosperity Indiana

Prosperity Indiana is a statewide membership organization for the individuals and organizations strengthening Hoosier communities. 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 has grown to approximately 200 members from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.