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Aaron Spiegel presented the Court Watchers Program at the Homes for All Coalition meeting on June 13.
What happened?
Court Watchers record what happens during eviction court hearings in Marion County. They report information about each case, such as the amount of rent owed, whether the landlord appeared in court, and whether the tenant was offered any resources. The data is then uploaded to a website. To date, they’ve reviewed 850 cases.
Spiegel, the executive director of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, said Indianapolis evictions and homelessness are getting worse.
“Indy was No. 2 for evictions, but now we are four or five. This isn’t because we’ve gotten better but because the rest of the country is catching up,” Spiegel said.
The local program was started by congregations from United Methodist Church, Second Presbyterian Church and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Now, it’s open to anyone who wants to court watch.
The program’s purpose is to bring accountability to eviction courts.
If you go
- WHAT: Homes for All Coalition meeting
- WHERE: Virtual (Zoom)
- WHEN: July 11
- COST: Free
“We want stories. They’re compelling and heartbreaking,” Spiegel said. “Most people end up evicted or homeless over $250 or less.”
He shared a story about Lawrence Township residents who were evicted from their home over $32.
Summary
Each township in Marion County has an eviction court. Spiegel said judges spend an average of three minutes on each case, with some judges spending less than a minute.
Takeaway
Spiegel said the program aims to bring accountability to eviction courts lacking nationwide data.
“In Marion County, we know nothing about the people showing up,” Spiegel said.
He said the issue isn’t an urban problem but a statewide problem.
“We are creating homelessness, and it’s only getting worse,” Spiegel said.
Court Watchers connect tenants in rent court to the Tenant Advocate Program, a program the Office of Public Health and Safety housing division created to prevent evictions and provide resources.
Spiegel said public awareness of eviction courts is lacking and raising that awareness is important.
“We are at crisis levels of evictions in the city,” he said.
What’s next?
The next Homes for All meeting is 6 p.m. July 11 on Zoom.
This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenter Makenzie Lukas, who covered the June Homes For All Coalition meeting. Read more about what happened here. Want to join Documenters? Learn more here.
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