Indy Eviction Crisis: 25,000 Annual Filings Now the “New Normal”
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite years of headlines and shifting economic landscapes, the eviction crisis in Marion County is not slowing down. Instead, it appears to be “settling in” as a permanent fixture of the Indianapolis housing market.
A new report released today by the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI), titled “The Stacked Deck: Eviction Filings in Marion County Townships and Neighborhoods,” paints a grim picture of a legal and economic system that advocates say is heavily weighted against tenants.
A Numbers Game: 25,000 and Counting
According to the report, between January 2021 and September 2025, there were a staggering 116,489 evictions filed in Marion County. In 2024 alone, over 25,000 filings were recorded—a volume comparable to the entire population of a small Indiana city.
Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the FHCCI, emphasized that these numbers represent a persistent state of emergency.
“Looking at the data and the numbers is that evictions just aren’t slowing,” Nelson said in a recent interview. “We might be kind of settling into an area of around 25,000 evictions each year in Marion County, which is just an incredible number… I don’t think there’s any possible way you could look at 25,000 eviction filings a year and not say that’s not a crisis.”
The Geography of Displacement
The crisis is not felt equally across the city. The FHCCI report identifies specific “hotspots” where filing rates are two to three times the county average:
Warren Township: Holds the highest filing rate among the nine townships at 16 filings per 100 renter households.
International Marketplace: The neighborhood with the highest rate in the county (38 per 100 households).
Delaware Trails (30.5) and Southdale (26.6) also saw extreme filing activity.
“Forum Shopping” and Legal Tactics
One of the report’s most concerning findings is the rise of “forum shopping.” This occurs when landlords file evictions in Superior Court rather than the township court where the property is located, often to avoid judges or processes they perceive as too tenant-friendly.
In 2024, nearly 9% of all evictions were filed in Superior Court, a fourfold increase from 2021. In Lawrence Township, a shocking one-third of all cases were diverted to Superior Court. These cases are often more expensive for tenants to navigate and historically offered less access to immediate assistance.
The Root Causes: Wages vs. Rent
Nelson points to a fundamental disconnect between what Indianapolis residents earn and what they are forced to pay for shelter. With low vacancy rates and a lack of affordable units, tenants have zero leverage.
“Wages just simply aren’t keeping up with housing costs,” Nelson explained. “If your landlord tells you that your rent is going to go up, you don’t have a lot of options except to pay it because there’s nowhere else for you to go. And out of that, then that means that people don’t have as much money for other monthly needs, whether that’s prescriptions or transportation or food.”
Furthermore, Indiana remains one of only four states without a statute allowing tenants to withhold rent for essential repairs. This often leads to “retaliatory evictions,” where tenants who complain about mold or broken heat are met with a court summons instead of a repairman.
Advice for Those at Risk
For those currently facing the threat of displacement, the FHCCI offers critical advice to avoid a “default judgment,” which happens automatically if a tenant fails to appear.
“The first thing is to make sure that you show up at court,” Nelson urged. “Because if you don’t show up, it’s going to be a default and then you are going to be evicted. We encourage people to get legal advice… gather your evidence to try to explain to the judge what occurred.”
This report is only the first of two scheduled for 2026. The second half of the study will focus on the “mega-investors” and property management companies responsible for the highest volumes of filings.
For now, the FHCCI hopes this data will push state and local lawmakers to enact stronger tenant protections.
RESOURCES FOR TENANTS:
Full Report: Available at FHCCI.org
Legal Aid: Contact Indiana Legal Services, Indianapolis Legal Aid, or Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.
Fair Housing Questions: ** Call the FHCCI at 317-644-0673.
