8,000 people on IHA's Section 8 waiting list with a 5 year average wait time

INDIANAPOLIS — A lack of affordable housing is impacting thousands of Hoosiers, especially low-income families. The Indianapolis Housing Agency says it can't keep up with the high demand and lack of inventory.

WRTV Investigates took a deeper dive into the problem.

There are 8,000 people on Indianapolis Housing Agency's waiting list right now.

"There is no affordable housing," said Christina Lopez, a mother of six. "I am just a single mom trying to work and take care of my kids."

Her family lost everything in 2021 after their apartment burned down weeks before Christmas.

"The kids had no shoes, no shirts, no clothes," said Lopez.

While looking for a three bedroom apartment big enough for her family, she was living in her car and bouncing around from motel to motel.

Five months later, she's still struggling to find an affordable place to call home.

"I have to have at least a three bedroom legally and there are no three bedrooms I can afford. I don't have $1,500 or $2,000 a month for rent. This is killing me, but at least with this I have utilities," she said.

Lopez can't get on the Indianapolis Housing Agency's Section 8 waiting list.

"The list is so long that you can't even get on the list," she said.

The waiting list closed in July of 2021.

IHA Interim Executive Director, Marcia Lewis, says it was only open for two days.

10,000 Hoosiers qualified for assistance.

"Those 10,000 come from about 35,000 applications," she said.

Lewis says so far, the agency has helped less than 2,000 of those 10,000 applicants find a place to live.

When asked for a timeline of when the list will open back up for other Hoosiers in need, Lewis had no idea — stating it could take years.

For those 8,000 on the list waiting for help, Lewis says they're looking at a 3-5 year wait on average "[with] 5 years being more closer to the time than 3."

It's discouraging for Tasha Powell, who says she's qualified for IHA's assistance

"How long have you been on the waiting list?" asked WRTV's Rachael Wilkerson.

"A year and a half," said Powell.

WRTV met Powell at a feeding the homeless event in November.

She had just given her daughter to her family and was living in her car while waiting for a spot to open up.

"I am still in the same situation. It's just the fact the waiting list is so long. I am just trying to figure out how long it's going to be because I have me and my daughter on there," said Powell.

So why the long wait time by IHA?

The Executive Interim Director says there is a lack of landlords accepting vouchers and rent in the community has skyrocketed.

"It's very scary. Rents have gone up about 40% in the last year," said Lewis.

Lewis says it's not only fueling the housing and apartment shortage but costing the Indianapolis Housing Agency more money.

From 2021 through 2022, the agency received nearly $63 million from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing vouchers.

Lewis says that comes out to nearly 8,900 vouchers.

"You may not be able to house all 8,896, but you might end up spending all of your money," said Lewis.

"What's happening now is we are spending more money and being able to house a lesser amount of people because the rents are higher that what we are paying out. We got approval to pay higher rents ... but even with that now, that uses up more of our money, so it's kinda skewed," said Lewis.

In Indianapolis, WRTV Investigates found the greatest demand for affordable housing is coming from single women with more than one child.

Studies by the city show two bedroom apartments are most wanted and available 3 and 4 bedrooms are extremely hard to find.

"In many instances, they are not finding suitable housing for their household size. It's a real struggle," Lewis said.

A struggle Powell and Lopez know all too well.

"It's hard; it's real hard. Just trying to make it," said Powell.

Both say they've searched high and low for affordable housing, but had no luck.

As Hoosiers suffer, the housing agency doesn't expect the lack of affordable housing problem to go away anytime soon.

Lewis has this message for local landlords.

"When we are faced with families who are searching and searching, they are lucky enough to have their names called. They've been given that voucher, they are out on the streets and they are just getting so frustrated because they cannot find a place ... those are families that need the same chance and same opportunities as everyone else to have a great life, so I think people need to know they exist," said Lewis.

So where are the 8,000 people waiting for housing assistance going in the meantime?

Many of them end up homeless.

It's a problem that IMPD says continues to get bigger.

On Wednesday, WRTV will share how the lack of affordable housing is causing a crisis in the city.