On November 5, 2025, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) released the, State of Fair Housing Report – Rising Rental Burdens in the Indianapolis Metro, highlighting the increasing barriers for renters in their search for safe, affordable, attainable housing.
According to the report, over the last decade, rent has increased almost 50% in the Indy Metro area and half of all renters in Marion County are now considered “cost burdened” –meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs.
Also, the report noted that the rental vacancy rate reached a 15-year-plus low of 3.9% in 2024 in Marion County, and 4.2% in the Indianapolis metro area—far below a healthy vacancy rate. When vacancy rates are low, renters seeking new housing may be unable to find it, forcing them to stay unhoused or in units that may be overcrowded, unaffordable, or even unsafe. Housing expert Gregg Colburn identifies a rate below 5% as a homelessness crisis.