Question from Indianapolis Mayoral Debate on WISH-TV: Addressing eviction rates
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Democrat mayor of Indianapolis and a Republican hopeful for the job answered questions, many provided by WISH-TV viewers, during a live, hourlong debate aired Monday night.
Hogsett is seeking a third four-year term as mayor of Indianapolis. Shreve, a businessman who has previously served on the City-County Council, won the Republican primary in May.
Monday night’s presentation was the first one-hour televised debate in an Indianapolis mayoral campaign in nearly 20 years.
Indiana has some of the worst eviction rates in the nation, with people of color being impacted at higher rates. Aside from the housing task force, what would the candidates do to address housing equity in the city over the next four years?
Hogsett says, several years ago, the Indianapolis City-County Council passed relief for renters being manipulated by unscrupulous landlords. However, Indiana legislators eliminated that effort. He notes federally funded IndyRents over $200 million during the COVID pandemic.
Shreve notes the IndyRents program won’t be around much longer. He says the city has toothless initiatives that are understaffed and not truly protecting renters. Minority homeownership also needs to be improved, he says.