Millions of Dollars Meant to Help the Poor Left Unspent

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Millions of dollars from Marion County taxpayers, set aside for the poor, are sitting untouched.

Township trustees offer assistance, or what state law terms as “poor relief,” to help pay for any number of expenses. The money primarily comes from local property taxes and is meant for people in need.

According to the assembled financial reports from the nine Marion County townships, more than $12.7 million intended for assistance went unspent in 2024. That’s not including “rainy day” funds and other surplus cash Marion County townships held.

Aaron Spiegel, executive Director of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, told I-Team 8, “A dramatic number of evictions could be avoided in Marion County if we had better access to the funds that we are paying into.”

The alliance is one of the housing and human rights advocacy groups that found — and criticized — long delays to payments, high denial rates, and large amounts of unspent relief money in a recent report.

The study discovered some trustees do not offer walk-in appointments, and many have unclear rules that change township-to-township.

Trustees are required by Indiana law to act on an assistance request within 72 hours.

Some trustees tell News 8 delays often happen because applicants are gathering necessary information.

Even if applicants are denied for assistance, trustees can direct people to other available resources.

When Cecilia Craig went to the Washington Township Trustee’s Office seeking assistance for repairs to her rental home, she claims the request was denied when staff couldn’t reach her landlord.

“I’m trying to keep this roof over our heads, our bills paid, and food,” Craig said. “There’s not really much out here for mothers that are on the right path, trying to make it for their children.”

Shortly after she was denied assistance, Craig got behind on rent. Her landlord then wouldn’t renew her lease. She believes that assistance could have been the difference to keep her home.

“I feel more sad for my kids than anything because they had to experience this,” Craig said.

When contacted by I-Team 8, the Washington Township trustee said he couldn’t speak on specific cases, but doubted Craig’s story, saying the inability to contact a landlord would not have disqualified an applicant.

But Spiegel said, from his experience, Craig’s story had the ring of truth. “We have no idea how many people are being turned away because of the process, or the lack of the process, in some of the offices.”

Spiegel believes reform is needed to help relieve the startling number of evictions in Marion County, which totaled 1,652 in March 2024, according to the Princeton University Eviction Lab.

The report, which claims as few as 13% to 16% of applicants received assistance in some townships, recommends trustees:

Allow walk-in applications.
Publish eligibility guidelines and application online.
Commit to spend at least 80% of assistance budget surplus on assistance needs.

A full list of recommendations can be found at the end of the report.

I-Team 8 reached out to every trustee in Marion County, and some said they’re already following these suggestions.

Wayne Township said it expanded eligibility for assistance and meets the 80% assistance goal.

Lawrence Township Trustee Steve Talley told I-Team 8 in an email that he asked for an additional case manager following the report “because it became clear that the Trustee’s Office must be prepared for a significant rise in need.”

Talley said the Township Board rejected his request for an additional staff member. The Lawrence Township Board determines how much it can spend on assistance.

Decatur Township’s trustee said the township wants to leave reserves in case of funding cuts.

Pike Township said it’s committed to offering assistance “to all applicants that qualify.”

In 2024, four Marion County townships collected more money for their relief funds than they distributed. On the low end, Franklin Township collected less than $500 more than it disbursed, while Center Township collected $913,360.23 more than it disbursed for poor relief.

Center Township, which did not respond to I-Team 8’s questions, has nearly $8 million in its Township Assistance Fund, according to its 2024 financial report.

Decatur, Lawrence, Washington, Wayne, and Warren townships disbursed more assistance than they collected for relief in 2024.

Spiegel said the case groups behind the trustee report are working on a “Part 2,” following what happens with a township’s surplus funds.

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