Editorial: Indy shows it knows how to use federal rental assistance

During the recent debate about the national eviction moratorium, President Joe Biden has often insisted that an extension of the ban wouldn’t be necessary if local and state officials would do a better job of making sure that $47 billion in federal renter and landlord assistance got out the door.

After bowing to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to let the moratorium lapse at the end of July, the Biden administration relented Tuesday amid pressure from progressive Democrats and extended the eviction ban until Oct. 3. The action came despite fears that the administrative action might not pass constitutional muster.

What has been lost in the debate, however, is that some local governments—particularly Indianapolis—have done a good job in making sure rental assistance is getting to those who need it.

Since July 2020, IndyRent has distributed nearly $46 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding as rent payments to landlords for nearly 21,000 households. There’s at least $50 million more to distribute, and plans are underway to make good of that money as well.

As IBJ’s Leslie Bonilla Muñiz reported, the administration of Mayor Joe Hogsett and not-for-profits across the city immediately launched into action last year to use the money to help residents stay current on their rent.

The massive program started to come together in May 2020, when the city approached the John Boner Neighborhood Centers, a near-east-side not-for-profit that leads administration for the Marion County Energy Assistance Program.

Now program administrators at 13 local not-for-profits continue to whittle down a long waiting list for assistance.

The city also is well positioned to help renters once the eviction moratorium expires.

Fearing that the federal ban would not be extended beyond July 30, the Hogsett administration last week announced a new tenant advocate program funded with $800,000 to $900,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan money allotted to Indianapolis.

The program will provide legal assistance to renters to help them navigate the court system. Housing advocates also will offer mediation and negotiation services, as well as connect clients to other eviction or rent-help programs.

All these actions show that Indianapolis was as ready as it could be to deal with a flood of pending eviction claims had the moratorium not been extended. And it will be ready when the ban finally comes to an end.

If other cities had followed Indy’s lead, perhaps the nation would not be in this moratorium limbo, waiting to see if the extension can withstand a court challenge.

But even if the Supreme Court ultimately strikes down the extension, at least it will buy some time for other communities to get their act together and release billions of dollars in federal relief to renters.•

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