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Faith & Action – “Back HomeLESS Again in Indiana”

 

This week, 500 Marion County families will be evicted from their homes. And next week, another 500 households with children and elders, people with disabilities, and those who are ill will be put out on the street. And week after week, 500 more, a pace that puts Indianapolis well ahead of its peer cities for number of evictions.

For decades, the legal process behind these mass evictions has been a mystery to most people. Eviction courts, where eviction orders are rendered, worked in relative anonymity in a process that tended to favor landlords and leave tenants with virtually no means or opportunity to fight back.

Now some of this is changing, thanks in part to a grassroots effort to monitor eviction court judges and their proceedings. Launched in March of 2024, the Court Watcher Program, officially known as the Indiana Eviction Justice Network, sends trained citizens – many from area churches – into eviction courts to watch and record the proceedings.

One of the churches involved, Northminster Presbyterian, recently offered a glimpse of the program in its newsletter Northminster Proclaim, shining a light on a program that has resulted in a stronger voice for tenants. Read the article titled “Back HomeLESS Again in Indiana” (begins on page 4 and ends on page 6) to learn more about the program and how you and your congregation can get involved.

To learn even more about the housing insecurity in Marion County, its impact on local poverty, and ways that you can help take positive action attend the Faith & Action Spring Conference.