Miller reacts to state ending emergency housing program amid state-wide crisis
The state of Indiana announced recently that the Indiana Emergency Rental Program (IERA) has been cut six months ahead of schedule. The fund, created during the COVID-19 pandemic to address housing instability, was funded through the U.S. Treasury and set to expire in September of this year.
According to reporting from IndyStar, IERA has stopped taking applications. The program offered rental assistance and assistance for utility bills.
State Rep. Kyle Miller (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding IERA's abrupt closure:
"Ending this program with federal dollars available for another six months while Hoosiers struggle to keep a roof over their head is not only cruel, it's a dereliction of leadership. Indiana's housing crisis started well before the COVID-19 pandemic and it's still a reality for too many Hoosiers.
"I've heard from constituents that they're having trouble getting any status updates from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. This leaves people guessing in whether they'll receive much-needed assistance to remain in their homes.
"Right now, for every 100 low-income families in Indiana, there are only 38 affordable rentals available. My hometown of Fort Wayne was just ranked the least renter-friendly city in the country. This is not a situation we can wish away. Forcing vulnerable people to rely on 2-1-1 to find resources – a system that is not regularly updated or easy to use – when we could have continued giving them federally funded assistance for another six months puts an unnecessary burden on these individuals and their families. Keeping the IERA up and running until September would have given folks half a year to get back on their feet. Instead, the state is leaving them behind under the guise of 'government efficiency.' A truly efficient state government would do everything in its power to keep people in their homes, not cut off vital funding for those in need.
"Luckily, there's still time for us to address this in the state budget. I'm calling on my colleagues in the majority party to take a stand for Hoosiers by setting aside state dollars to make up for the loss of these federal funds. We have the means to help Hoosiers. Republicans just need to find the will to do it."