I recently sat down with someone who’s often on the other side of the courtroom: Fran Quigley, director of the Health and Human Rights Clinic at IU McKinney and a longtime advocate for tenants facing eviction in Marion County. I represent landlords in eviction proceedings. Fran represents tenants. What followed was a frank, respectful, and necessary conversation about one of Indiana’s most pressing and politically neglected issues.
Evictions in Marion County happen fast. Fran noted that Indianapolis ranks among the highest in the nation for eviction filings. Many tenants show up in court unrepresented and uninformed. The stakes? Losing their homes, their stability, and in many cases, their dignity. From his perspective, it’s not just a legal issue—it’s a human rights crisis that disproportionately affects low-income families, children, and people of color.
From the landlord’s seat, I offered a different view. Property owners aren’t faceless villains. Many go months without rent. Some face property damage or uncooperative tenants. The system can be just as frustrating for them, especially when policies tilt too far in one direction. But Fran and I both agreed on one thing: the current system isn’t working for anybody.
We explored real reforms—right-to-counsel initiatives, mediation programs, streamlined rental assistance, and better education for both landlords and tenants. We disagreed in places, sure. But we had a conversation that rarely happens in today’s political environment: one rooted in respect, reality, and a shared desire to fix what’s broken.
The audio runs for about 22 minutes.
