MUNCIE, Ind. — The economic impact of the pandemic has exacerbated many of the cracks in access to basic necessities across America whether it’s health, food, connectivity or education.
A housing crisis is imminent as the CDC moratorium on evictions looms, and a lack of affordable safe housing across the country is an underlying issue that is rising to the surface.
Prior to the pandemic, 27 percent of Indiana renters earned an average of $25,100 or less for a family of four, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The coalition says the state was short by more than 130,000 affordable safe homes for low-income individuals in the nation.
But in Muncie, lawmakers, residents, organizations, courts and landlords are actively working to mitigate the impact of the looming housing crisis on what many experts say will compound the existing crisis within affordable, safe housing.
In Part II of the America's Housing Crisis series, 13News' Sarah Jones spent the day with the Building Commissioner's office, who canvases the community to educate property owners and enforce violations.