Indianapolis Free Eviction Aid Program Faces Severe 2027 Funding Shortfall, Navigator Jobs at Risk
An Indianapolis program that provides free legal aid to residents facing eviction is facing a severe funding shortfall for 2027.
Judge Kimberly Bacon of the Lawrence Township Small Claims Court, which oversees the program, said the money needed to fully operate it in 2027 is "woefully short," and the court and the city are actively looking for new funding sources.
In early 2026, the Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety and the Lawrence Township court merged their eviction aid efforts into a single Eviction Diversion Program, which provides free attorneys and court navigator services and connects participants with housing, food and rent assistance.
The program received $1.5 million in 2026, half of it from a last-minute funding package. The 2027 city budget includes only $750,000, and without additional money the navigator positions will be eliminated.
Andrew Merkley, director of the Office of Public Health and Safety, said he had requested $2 million for eviction prevention in 2027 but the request was not approved in full, and he is seeking supplementary funding through channels such as philanthropy.
Landlords in Indianapolis had filed more than 18,000 eviction cases through September of this year. The mayor's office said it will keep working with partner agencies to find additional funding, including budget underspending, to support the eviction diversion legal aid work in 2027.
Source: Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 印第安纳波利斯市中心天际线（Miyin2 摄，Intro Indianapolis，CC BY-SA 4.0）/ Downtown Indianapolis skyline (photo by Miyin2, Intro Indianapolis, CC BY-SA 4.0)
