Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance (IERA) is no longer open. The federal money that funded it expired on September 30, 2025, and on September 23, 2025, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed an earlier order that had briefly forced the state to reopen the program. If you are an Indiana renter who needs help right now, IERA cannot help you, but other programs still can. At its peak, IERA's first round committed more than $358.6 million and helped over 28,100 Hoosier households before the money ran out.
This guide explains what the program was, who qualified, how the 2025 shutdown and court fight played out, and exactly where to turn for rent help in 2026. If you need help today, skip to the section on current rent resources for the numbers to call first.
Key Takeaways
- Program closed: Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance stopped taking and processing applications after its federal funding authority expired on September 30, 2025.
- Court reversal: In September 2025, the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned a lower-court order that had temporarily reopened the IERA2 program.
- What it paid: IERA covered past-due rent, future rent, utilities, and home energy, up to 18 months of combined assistance per household across both rounds.
- Who it helped: Round one committed more than $358.6 million and assisted over 28,100 Indiana households before its funds ran out in mid-2022.
- Income rule: Households needed income at or below 80% of their county's Area Median Income, with priority given to those under 50%.
- Help still exists: Indiana 2-1-1, the Energy Assistance Program, township trustees, and Indiana Legal Help can still assist renters in 2026.
Is Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance Still Open in 2026?
No. As of June 2026, Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance is closed. Two separate events ended it. First, the federal funding that paid for IERA expired on September 30, 2025. Second, on September 23, 2025, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed an order that had briefly reopened the program.
IERA was paid for with federal pandemic relief through the U.S. Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance program. Congress set a hard deadline: the second round of funds remained available only through September 30, 2025. After that date, the agency could not issue any new rental assistance with those federal dollars. That deadline alone closed the door on new payments.
The legal fight ran on a parallel track. The state shut IERA down in March 2025, a court forced it back open in May 2025, and the Court of Appeals of Indiana reversed that reopening order in September 2025. The application portal run by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) is no longer accepting applications. If you find a page or a phone number telling you to apply for IERA today, treat it with caution and read the scam section below.
What Was the IERA Program and Who Funded It?
IERA was Indiana's version of the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program, administered statewide by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). The state received roughly $558 million in combined federal Emergency Rental Assistance funding to help renters cover rent and utilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program ran in two rounds. Round one (IERA1) opened in March 2021 and provided up to 12 months of help, later raised to 18 months. By July 2022, IERA1 had committed more than $358.6 million and assisted over 28,100 households, then paused new applications on July 29, 2022, once those funds were exhausted.
Round two (IERA2) began taking applications in March 2023 and held nearly $292 million in funding, according to the Court of Appeals opinion. IERA2 dropped the repeat-recertification model of round one. Instead, it paid a single lump sum covering past-due rent plus three months of future rent. A second payment was possible for households that completed family development counseling and improved their situation.
The table below compares the two rounds at a glance.
| Feature | IERA Round 1 | IERA Round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Applications opened | March 2021 | March 2023 |
| Funding source | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 |
| Payment structure | Recertified every 3 months | One lump sum, no recertification |
| Counseling | Optional | Required for an extra 3-month payment |
| Maximum assistance | Up to 18 months | Up to 15 months under IERA2; 18 months total when combined with other ERA assistance |
| Status | Closed July 2022 | Closed 2025 |
Who Qualified for Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance?
To qualify for IERA, a renter household had to meet three tests at the same time: a COVID-related financial hardship, a clear risk of housing instability, and income at or below 80% of the county Area Median Income. Meeting only one of the three was not enough.
Financial impact. At least one household member had to show a negative financial impact tied directly or indirectly to the pandemic, going back as far as April 1, 2020. This included qualifying for unemployment, a documented drop in income, higher costs caused by the pandemic, or other significant financial hardship.
Housing instability. The household had to show a real risk of losing housing. Any one of these conditions met the test:
- The household was behind on rent.
- The landlord had issued an eviction notice.
- A utility provider had issued a disconnection notice.
- The household paid more than 30% of its gross monthly income toward rent alone.
Income limit. Total gross household income had to be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the county, a figure the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes each year. You can check current limits on the HUD income limits page. Federal rules told states to prioritize households at or below 50% of AMI, or households with someone unemployed for at least 90 days before applying.
One detail tripped up many applicants: geography. Several high-population areas received their own direct federal funding and ran separate local programs, so their residents could not use the state-run IERA. Those areas were Elkhart County, Hamilton County, Lake County, Marion County (Indianapolis), St. Joseph County, and the City of Fort Wayne.
What Did IERA Cover, and How Much Could You Receive?
IERA paid for past-due and future rent, utilities, and home energy costs. For rent, it paid the lesser of the amount in your lease or a published limit based on the number of bedrooms in your unit. Total help was capped at 18 months per household across both rounds.
The table below shows the IERA2 rent limits and 18-month caps from the August 2023 schedule published by the IHCDA renter fact sheet. Earlier rounds used slightly lower limits.
| Bedrooms | Monthly Rent Limit | 18-Month Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | $899 | $16,182 |
| One-bedroom | $957 | $17,226 |
| Two-bedroom | $1,124 | $20,232 |
| Three-bedroom | $1,573 | $28,314 |
| Four-bedroom or more | $1,864 | $33,552 |
Utilities and home energy that IERA could cover included electric, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus fuel oil, wood, coal, pellets, and propane. The program could not pay for landlord legal fees or court costs, pet fees or animal deposits, standard security deposits, or property damage.
Landlord participation made payments faster but was never required. If a landlord refused to take part or did not respond, the program could pay the renter directly, and the renter then had to use the money for rent or utilities.
How the 2025 Shutdown and Court Battle Unfolded
The end of IERA was not quiet. In early 2025, a sudden shutdown triggered a class-action lawsuit and two opposite court rulings within a few months. Here is the order of events.
- March 17 to 18, 2025. State leadership directed IHCDA to shut down the IERA2 program immediately, about six months before the federal deadline.
- Late March 2025. IHCDA closed the application portal, issued final payments, ended provider contracts, and laid off staff. On March 26, it emailed applicants to say the program was closed.
- April 7, 2025. Renter Cadence Blanchard filed a complaint, arguing the state had no authority to close the program early and return unspent funds.
- April 15, 2025. The trial court denied an emergency restraining order while the case moved forward.
- May 31, 2025. Marion Superior Court 11 granted a preliminary injunction, ordered IHCDA to reopen IERA2, and barred the state from returning the disputed funds before the federal deadline.
- September 23, 2025. The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the reopening order, ruling that the renters lacked legal standing under the state's administrative procedures law.
- September 30, 2025. The federal funding authority expired. After this date, the program could not issue new rental assistance with the federal money.
Roughly $20.89 million in IERA2 funds was at stake during the dispute, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. With the appeals reversal and the funding deadline both landing in late September 2025, the program reached its end.
Where Indiana Renters Can Get Rent Help Now
IERA is gone, but you still have options in 2026. The programs below help Indiana renters with rent, utilities, and eviction. Start with the first one if you are not sure where to begin.
- Call Indiana 2-1-1. Dial 2-1-1 or 1-866-211-9966 for a free, confidential service that connects you to local rent help, utility assistance, food pantries, and housing support. Say "rental assistance" to the operator.
- Apply for the Energy Assistance Program (EAP). Indiana's Energy Assistance Program, also called LIHEAP, helps households up to 60% of the state median income pay winter heating and summer cooling bills.
- Contact your township trustee. Under Indiana law, township trustees must provide emergency "poor relief." This can include vouchers for rent, utilities, food, or medical care. Search for your township trustee by name and county.
- Reach a Community Action Agency. Indiana has 22 Community Action Agencies serving all 92 counties. They handle energy help, housing counseling, and other local assistance.
- Get free legal help. If you face eviction, Indiana Legal Help, an Indiana Bar Foundation initiative, offers free and low-cost aid. Self-help kiosks are available in all 92 counties.
- Ask the court about pre-eviction diversion. Through the Indiana courts housing program, an eviction case can be paused for 90 days while you and your landlord work toward a settlement, and the record stays confidential during that time.
Key Terms to Know
Government housing programs use a lot of shorthand. Here is what the main IERA terms mean in plain language.
- Area Median Income (AMI): the midpoint income for a county, set yearly by HUD. IERA used 80% of AMI as its income ceiling.
- Arrears: rent you already owe from past months, as opposed to future rent.
- ERA1 and ERA2: the two federal rounds of Emergency Rental Assistance that funded IERA1 and IERA2.
- IHCDA: the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the state agency that ran IERA.
- Categorical eligibility: proof of income through a benefit letter from a program like SNAP, TANF, WIC, or SSI, which sped up IERA review.
- Pre-eviction diversion: a court process that pauses an eviction so the renter and landlord can reach a settlement.
The Real People Behind the Court Case
The lawsuit that briefly reopened IERA had three named renters at its center, and their situations show who the program served. Cadence Blanchard was a full-time university student with a disability who had received help once and was waiting on counseling for a second payment. Lisa Carpenter was a retired nurse living on Social Security disability income. Muriel Amlett had lost her job and applied in January 2025, only to have her application still pending when the state closed the program.
The trial court agreed with the renters in May 2025, finding that the state shut the program down without a documented basis. The Court of Appeals later disagreed on legal grounds, holding that the renters did not have standing to sue under the state's administrative law and reversing the reopening order. You can read the full ruling on the Indiana courts website. The takeaway for renters today is simple: the program is closed, and the dispute over how it ended does not change that you now need a different source of help.
How to Spot a Rental Assistance Scam in Indiana
Because IERA is closed, any site or caller promising to approve your IERA application now, especially for a fee, is a warning sign. Scammers target renters in hard situations. Here is how to protect yourself.
- Real programs are free to apply for. Anyone charging a fee to submit a government rental application is not part of an official program.
- Official pages end in .gov. Indiana program pages live on in.gov. A site that uses a program name but a different address is not the government.
- The government will not cold-call you with benefits. Unsolicited texts, calls, or emails offering rental aid you never applied for are a scam.
- No real program needs your card number to pay you. Any request for a credit card or payment to release assistance is fraud.
If you receive a suspicious offer, do not click any links and do not reply. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. When you want to verify a real program, call Indiana 2-1-1 instead of trusting an unsolicited message.
What This Means for You in 2026
Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance helped tens of thousands of households during the pandemic, but as of 2026, the program is closed and will not reopen. The federal funding is gone, and the courts have settled the legal fight over how it ended. That does not leave you without options.
Your clearest next step today is to call Indiana 2-1-1, or dial 1-866-211-9966, and ask about current rent and utility help in your county. If an eviction is already filed, contact Indiana Legal Help and ask the court about pre-eviction diversion before your first hearing. Help still exists in Indiana. It just has a different name now.
For a broader look at programs that may still help with rent after emergency pandemic aid has ended, read Gov-Relations’ guide to low-income rental assistance programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IERA accepting applications in 2026?
No. Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance is closed and is not accepting or processing new applications in 2026. The federal funding expired on September 30, 2025, and a September 2025 appeals ruling ended the court-ordered reopening. Renters should use Indiana 2-1-1 and the other programs listed above instead.
How much did IERA pay per month?
IERA paid the lesser of your actual lease rent or a published limit based on bedroom count. Those limits ranged from $899 a month for an efficiency to $1,864 for a four-bedroom unit under the August 2023 schedule, with total help capped at 18 months.
Can I still get help if I live in Marion County or Fort Wayne?
Those areas ran their own local rental assistance programs rather than the state IERA, and federal rental assistance funding has now ended everywhere. If you live in one of these areas in 2026, call Indiana 2-1-1 to find current local rent and utility help.
What should I do if I am facing eviction right now?
Contact Indiana Legal Help for free or low-cost legal aid, and ask the court about the pre-eviction diversion program, which can pause your case for 90 days. Call Indiana 2-1-1 the same day to line up emergency rent and utility assistance from local sources.
Did Indiana have to return unspent rental assistance money?
About $20.89 million in IERA2 funds was disputed when the state tried to close the program early. After the federal deadline passed and the appeals court reversed the reopening order in September 2025, the program ended, and remaining federal funds were no longer available for new payments.
The post Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance (IERA): Program Status and Where to Get Help in 2026 appeared first on Gov-Relations.
source https://www.gov-relations.com/indianas-emergency-rental-assistance-iera-program/
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