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Professor Fran Quigley, ’87, will discuss the eviction crisis as part of the Columbus Human Rights Commission’s events series. He will talk about the housing rental crisis in Indiana on September 22. The commission, located in Columbus, Indiana, is led by Aida Ramirez, ’12, who serves as director.

Professor Quigley, through the Health and Human Rights Clinic, has been writing and speaking extensively about this crisis. He will discuss the state’s rental housing market and the realities those who have been impacted by the pandemic face. Professor Quigley and IU McKinney 3L Katie Whitely were among the researchers who released a report titled “How Indiana Courts Can Prevent Evictions: Responding to a Looming Public Health and Economic Crisis.” Over 250,000 Indiana families are at risk of eviction, economic analyses show. Among the report’s findings: many landlords are not taking advantage of tenant assistance funds and government agencies still have tens of millions of dollars available to help; almost two of every three Hoosier renters has to spend more than they can afford on even modest housing; and Indiana laws and court procedures do not yet include eviction prevention measures like mandatory mediation.

Ramirez and Quigley aren’t the only two IU McKinney connections to the series. Shelia Seuss Kennedy, ’74, will speak September 15. She will discuss Indiana’s 10-year redistricting plan and implementation, political gerrymandering, and the effects of voter suppression laws. She is professor emerita at the IUPUI Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Like Professor Quigley, she also is a former executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union.

The event series takes place in a virtual format, and registration is required. It is free and open to the public.