Indiana’s New Housing Law Sparks Backlash as Braun Signs Bill Limiting Local Zoning Control

We’re going to start with the bill that Braun is so proud of. Mike Braun, governor of Indiana, signed it into law yesterday, and you can pretty much wave goodbye to your community because this is going to gut your community’s ability to stop bad housing developments.

What House Enrolled Act 1001 Means for Local Zoning Control in Indiana

So what are we talking about? Let’s get into it. The Indiana Capital Chronicle has the big article on this if you’d like to read more about it. House Enrolled Act 1001. By the way, if you’d like to look into the abyss of what your community is going to look like in the not-too-distant future, I’d advise you to come to Brownsburg and Avon. Just take a drive through there. It’s like It’s a Wonderful Life, where you see what your life would be like. Just take a drive through Brownsburg and Avon, where you find a high-density housing development on every corner. That’s what’s coming for you. That’s about to be you. Your community is about to get taken over, and Braun and the Republicans are so proud of this House Enrolled Act 1001. Here’s how the Capital Chronicle writes it up. House Enrolled Act 1001 aims to lower costs for builders and home buyers alike by minimizing local zoning rules like aesthetic and parking mandates, streamlining approval for new construction, and, this is the big one, expanding the types of residential development allowed without public hearings. They don’t want to hear from you. They’re sick of your demands for good developments in your community, and the state said they’re going to take away your ability to have a voice. Imagine what kind of lawmaker says they’re sick of people having a voice, sick of people speaking up in their communities, sick of people being outraged that a high-density housing development might be dropped on every street corner. Too many people pushing back, too much freedom to oppose the government, so they’ll just take it away. That’s the bill, and Braun just had a big signing ceremony. He’s very proud of it. Here’s one of the few coherent statements he gave. Have you ever noticed how you ask Braun something and he gives you an answer, and five minutes later you’re just staring at him wondering what he said? How is it that the governor can’t speak clearly? That should be a requirement for elected officials. If I ask you a question and you can’t give a coherent, immediate answer, you’re out. Braun can’t do it. Watch an interview sometime. The next time he’s on, see if he gives a single coherent response. He spends five minutes saying nothing. One of the things he did say was, “The goal is to identify barriers to build more homes and lower prices.” That statement alone shows a lack of understanding of how local governments work. Why would you want new homes built at lower prices in your community? You live there. What possible reason would you have for wanting a bunch of lower-priced homes built around you?

How Indiana’s New Housing Law Could Impact Property Taxes and Local Services

Let’s talk about property taxes. Braun says the system works great, so no changes are coming, even though last year he said this was just the beginning. Now suddenly everyone is happy. Have you met one person outside government who thinks the property tax system is working great? Schools hate it, taxpayers hate it, towns hate it, counties hate it, and Braun says it’s wonderful. Someone messaged me yesterday saying they thought they were supposed to get money back on property taxes. They got five dollars. That’s what they were told. A lot of people are saying their property taxes went up this year. And just wait. Once the new local income tax hits in 2029, once referendums pass, once deductions get wiped out by rising assessments, it’s going to get worse. Now back to the idea of building homes at lower prices. Property taxes are capped at 1% for homeowners unless there’s a school referendum. That means local government revenue is based on 1% of a home’s value. A home worth less money means less revenue for the community. You live in a town that’s working well. You like where you live. You like the roads, the businesses, the people. The state is now saying it doesn’t matter. They want low-income housing added whether you want it or not, and they don’t want to hear from you in the process. Think about it. Property taxes fund services like police, fire, schools, roads, libraries, county government. Those things cost money. The government spends too much, but those services still have a cost. Under this plan, the state is forcing communities to build housing with lower assessed values, which means less revenue, while also increasing population. That means less money for roads, police, fire, and schools, and more pressure for referendums. This is an incredibly flawed policy. The state is saying they don’t like that your community has standards. They don’t like that you have a voice. So they’re taking it away. That’s the direction things are going.

Why Critics Say Indiana’s Housing Affordability Crisis Is Being Mishandled

Now, why is housing so unaffordable? The government caused it. In 2020, the federal government printed trillions of dollars and dropped interest rates to around 2%. Money became cheap, people rushed to buy homes, and prices skyrocketed. People overpaid and locked in low rates. Now they can’t move because they’d have to buy at much higher rates. If you bought then and plan to stay, it worked out. I did. I’m happy where I live. But I also know it would cost me about $500 more a month to buy the same house today. Many people are stuck and not happy about it. That’s why housing supply is tight. The government created the problem and now is responding by taking away local control. Get ready for more high-density housing developments. They need places for workers being brought in through state programs to live, and your community is going to change because of it. Braun is proud of it. No one in the Republican supermajority is pushing back. This is the Indiana GOP, and this is the direction things are heading. It’s going to happen, and you won’t be able to do anything about it.