Advocates call for action on rental rates in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Despite a slight decrease in November, rent prices are still high in Indiana.

The Zumper National Rent Report showed Indianapolis as having the sharpest decline in rent for one bedroom apartments at the end of 2022.

However, rental rates are still way above where they are in Indiana before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the past year there was an 8.4% increase for one bedroom apartments and 19.8% increase in rent for two bedroom apartments,” said Andrew Bradley, Policy Director for Prosperity Indiana.

Prosperity Indiana provides resources and advocacy programs for Hoosiers in need of affordable housing.

The organization is advocating for more affordable housing to be built in safer areas.

“We’re also looking at opportunities to be able to able to increase the renters tax deduction, make it a refundable tax credit that would be one way to make housing more affordable,” Bradley said.

Another proposal would be to allow people not to pay rent if a landord refuses to do basic maintance on a tenants apartment.

“Until those issues are addressed, a renter has a way to put their rent into an escrow account, so they are paying rent, it just doesn’t get to landlord until they follow through on their obligations,” Bradley said.

Prosperity Indiana said the average income earner should not be spending more than 30% of their income a month on rent.