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“What can Indiana policymakers do to solve the housing shortage?”
Indiana has a housing crisis, and for many Hoosiers, it’s growing. The studies exist (and we will keep doing them), the units have been counted, the dashboards created, and one persistent, important fact remains: While housing costs for all of us have increased, for too many Hoosiers, those who work full time, are students or seniors, or those with disabilities and those who care for others, it is increasingly difficult to find and maintain safe housing that is affordable as the gap between the need and what is available continues to grow.
There are several converging reasons as to why this is, but the good news is that an array of policy tools is available to state policymakers to address them. Indiana’s policymakers should begin and lead a much-needed, actionable conversation on wage stagnation. In 2024, the jobs that employed the most Hoosiers did not provide average wages that kept up with housing costs. Fourteen out of Indiana’s
20 most popular jobs did not pay wages that would allow employees to comfortably rent a modest two-bedroom apartment.
Providing safe housing that is affordable is foundational to Indiana’s ability to compete in a global economy and to offer its residents a premier quality of life. Market-rate development is important, but it cannot be the only focus of legislative action and subsidies if we are serious about being a state that works. State policymakers must begin exploring options to increase and diversify Indiana’s housing investment to include affordable housing development, redevelopment, retrofitting and preservation.
The state’s recent announcements of major industry additions have the potential to positively shift the trajectory of several Indiana regions for generations to come. To make this vision a reality, we must address that we do not have a comprehensive plan to house the thousands of workers needed. Our policymakers must begin viewing right-fit housing as a core component of business development, workforce and community stability. Employers need employees, and employees need safe housing they can afford.
Critical to address Indiana’s growing swath of housing needs, including skyrocketing consumer costs, is our ability to collaborate under a new framework, one that centers a clear shared goal: stably housed Hoosier communities of all varieties. The bigger Indiana’s housing needs, the more intentional partnership the task will require of us. For too long, stakeholders with the expertise, resources and tools to address Indiana’s housing needs have thought and operated in silos.
This is why Prosperity Indiana is calling on Gov. Braun to establish and convene a commission on housing safety, stability and affordability, to bring together representatives of state agencies, the courts, local governments, legislators, housing stakeholders and residents to align existing housing resources and initiatives at the state and local levels. Such a commission could potentially save taxpayers millions of dollars, clarify code, coordinate efforts and funding streams, expand development, and provide a united voice to recommend new legislation when necessary to protect Indiana’s housing supply.
We call on Indiana’s policymakers to join us in advocacy for the commission.•
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Clemons is executive director of Prosperity Indiana. She’s been in the role since 2023. Send comments to [email protected].
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