Feds award 4 Indiana groups $141K for counseling on housing
A federal agency has awarded four Indiana groups a combined $141,000 for counseling to help individuals and families avoid foreclosure and make better home-buying and rental choices.
Housing
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Minkler: Hoosiers experiencing harassment due to COVID-19 should report
Hoosiers who have experienced harassment or discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic are urged to report those incidents to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Coordinator, U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced.
Appeals court again denies injunction in Lake Monroe logging case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has again rejected a Monroe County resident’s requested preliminary injunction that would prevent logging from taking place on land near his home.
Judge certifies class action against rent-to-buy company Rainbow Realty
A federal lawsuit filed against Rainbow Realty, a rent-to-buy real estate company in Indianapolis, will proceed as a class action after the Southern Indiana District Court certified several plaintiffs’ claims including discrimination, failure to disclose and violating state habitability requirements.
Opposition to rental bill prompts veto from Holcomb
Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed a measure opposed by fair housing advocates that would have limited local controls over landlord-tenant matters. Holcomb said the language was “overly broad” and, in a reference to the ongoing pandemic, this was “not the right time” for such a law.
Stimulus package includes more money for legal aid
Included in the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday is a $50 million appropriation to the Legal Services Corp., which is bracing for a spike in legal needs among those with low income as the economy buckles under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic.
Holcomb vetoes controversial landlord-tenant legislation
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has vetoed a controversial bill that would have prevented local governments from regulating any aspect of landlord-tenant relationships.
Evictions, foreclosures stalled, but housing worries continue
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order Thursday that protects Hoosiers from being evicted or foreclosed on during the pandemic, but housing advocates are still pushing for a veto of legislation they say could force low-income families from their homes when the moratorium is lifted.
Housing advocates say legislation puts tenants at risk
Although the legislative session has ended, a Statehouse battle is continuing as opponents of a last-minute amendment that they assert will further disadvantage tenants and renters are lobbying the governor to issue a veto.
Housing amendment that would bar local ordinances protested at Legislature
Pushing what legislators have so far not been able to stop, housing advocates arrived at the Statehouse Monday hoping to derail an amendment that opponents say would not only further disadvantage Indiana renters but also possibly preempt cities from regulating rental properties.
LSC looking to continue streak of appropriation increases
Pointing to what it describes as an “overwhelming need for civil legal services,” Legal Services Corp. is asking a federal appropriation of $652.6 million for fiscal year 2021, a $212.6 million increase from the appropriation it received for fiscal year 2020.
Lawsuit against IU over dorm mold given class-action status
A judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging Indiana University breached its contract by providing substandard living assignments to thousands of students staying in residential halls where mold was found.
Hogsett unveils tenant protection initiative, aims to cut down evictions
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Wednesday announced a new city tenant protection and legal assistance initiative that is expected to increase resources for Indianapolis residents dealing with housing challenges that include substandard living conditions, eviction and retaliatory actions by “bad-actor” landlords.
Rent-to-own housing lawsuit settlement comes at a cost
Although the legal battle with rent-to-own housing company Casas Baratas Aqui ended with what the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana calls a “groundbreaking resolution that will have national impact,” the bitterness and damage invoked by the defendants’ counterclaims continues to rankle both sides in the litigation.
Financial services companies unsuccessful in blocking fair housing lawsuit
A lawsuit alleging financial services companies discriminated against minority neighborhoods in 30 cities across the country, including Gary and Indianapolis, has been allowed to move forward in federal court.
‘Precedent setting settlement’ ends rent-to-own housing lawsuit
A legal fight over a rent-to-buy real estate business that included the landlord hitting back and filing a counterclaim for defamation against the plaintiffs ended Friday with the parties reaching a settlement that, among other provisions, requires the defendants pay nearly $400,000 plus attorney fees.
Indy mayoral candidates want state law to better protect tenants
The major party candidates for Indianapolis mayor say they want to see changes in the state’s eviction laws that could help prevent some people from becoming homeless.
First Merchants Bank settles federal lawsuit alleging redlining
Muncie-based First Merchants Bank has settled a federal lawsuit, following U.S. Department of Justice allegations that the bank engaged in lending discrimination by redlining predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Indianapolis.
Justices agree to hear Rainbow Realty rent-to-own dispute
The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to two cases last week, including a rent-to-own contract dispute that Indiana Legal Services claims could adversely impact Hoosier tenants across the state if not reviewed by the high court.