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A new partnership will address tenant rights.
Jill Sheridan/WFYI
Indianapolis will unroll a new plan to address eviction and other housing issues. It includes a partnership to connect residents with legal services.
The City of Indianapolis teamed up with Indiana Legal Services and the Fair Housing Center to increase resources for those facing eviction and poor housing conditions.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says those challenges can further oppress low income residents.
"For someone who is already on the edge of poverty, an eviction can be the final shove," says Hogsett.
The proposal sets aside $250,000 to create a required tenant-rights document and an information hotline.
"Tenants who are fully informed of their rights, fully informed of their responsibilities, can better avoid the legal pitfalls that lead to eviction," says Hogsett.
Indiana Legal Service’s Rakuya Trice says the project will also provide free legal service, as appropriate.
"That those with meritorious cases against landlords have a real chance without facing eviction or other retaliation," says Trice.
Indianapolis has one of the highest rates of eviction in the country.
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