A Decent Place to Live: Improving Indiana’s Public and Private Habitability Enforcement Mechanisms

I can’t say enough good things about this report! Law student Jacob Purcell, research assistant to Professor Fran Quigley, has quantified the issues in Indiana in part, by reviewing the statutes and results from all 50 states.

“Jacob’s report explains why the lack of enforcement of existing health and safety laws has contributed to Indiana being in the bottom third among Midwest states for the rate of affordable and available rental housing, and having the single-highest rate of severe housing cost burden in the region for the lowest income renters,” said Andrew Bradley, policy director at Prosperity Indiana. “His findings show that, like a car without a starter, without public and private habitability enforcement mechanisms, Indiana’s efforts to increase the stock of affordable housing are likely to continue to go nowhere. The recommendations of this report provide a clear path to Indiana’s state and local policymakers to remedy this deficit.”

Code enforcement is often disregarded in the affordable/equitable housing conversation. Purcell’s report highlights that it is one of the primary problems, not just a contributing factor. He also highlights that the city and state have lax housing and health code enforcement.

Solutions to this housing crisis are the goal, Purcell said of his research. “First and foremost, I hope this report sheds light on rental conditions in Indiana, and helps to highlight the severity of the problem,” Purcell said. “Indiana tenants often have a lot of challenges unrelated to housing, and all of those challenges become infinitely more burdensome if tenants live in conditions which imminently threaten their health and safety. However, I also hope this report can serve as a guide for states and municipalities outside Indiana hoping to implement best practices for rent withholding.”

This article provides some background for the research and highlights.