The city of Lawrence is like a lot of other communities around the country: It’s difficult to find an affordable place to live.
And while solutions to the housing crisis can take years to implement and involve multiple layers of government, a recently formed group of advocates is looking for more immediate answers at the local level.
The Housing Ready Task Force will meet weekly to consider what steps the local government in Lawrence can take to address issues such as housing affordability and development.
Lawrence Mayor Deb Whitfield announced the task force during her State of the City speech in April.
“We are aware of the need for more housing of all types,” she said.
Among the issues Lawrence residents face: About half of renters were spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities as of 2023, according to the state’s housing dashboard. Putting that much of your income toward housing is considered a cost burden.
To address that and other problems, Whitfield said she wants to see a “more progressive approach” to housing.
That’s where the task force comes in.
Recommendations could involve zoning, home repairs
The task force likely won’t be focused on trying to get big chunks of money from the state or federal governments.
Rather, the group will look for solutions that are within local control. Members will eventually take a list of recommendations back to Whitfield.
Alison Cole, one of the task force members, said recommendations could include short-term measures, such as helping senior homeowners make repairs to their houses.
It’s still early. The group met for the first time on May 15.
But Cole, who has more than three decades of experience in affordable housing policy, said she sees an opportunity for Lawrence to be proactive because of its size. With a population of about 50,000 people, Lawrence is somewhere between a big city and a small town.
“We might be just the right size and mix of demographics,” she said, “that we become that experiment to see what works.”
Jim Perron, who’s coordinating the task force on behalf of the mayor’s office, said recommendations could also include rules surrounding zoning and permitting.
For inspiration, Perron said the group is looking at Strong Towns, a housing advocacy organization. As part of its “Housing Ready” model, Strong Towns promotes policies such as repealing parking mandates and allowing for backyard cottages in residential areas.
“The real issue is a lack of housing,” Perron said. “How do we create the environment where more housing can be available for the citizens of our community?”
Any task force recommendations dealing with zoning might take a little extra work.
Lawrence doesn’t have total control over its zoning. Instead, some proposals need approval from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission.
Perron said Lawrence and Indianapolis are in negotiations to give Lawrence full zoning control.
How you can get involved
The task force will meet at 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Lawrence Government Center, 9001 E. 59th St.
Perron said the group may invite housing experts to give a presentation at some meetings.
You can also give feedback directly to Perron at jperron@cityoflawrence.org.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
