A controversial bill that would have criminalized homelessness in Indiana has been defeated in the state’s House of Representatives, a significant but potentially temporary victory for Indiana housing advocates.

House Bill 1662 “State and local policies on homelessness”, authored by Representative Michelle Davis (R-District 58), failed to advance before the third reading deadline on February 20. Policy analysts say by passing on the bill during its scheduled vote, Davis effectively rendered it dead as standalone legislation.

“When a bill is scheduled for a vote but gets passed on, it’s often because the bill does not have the support needed to move forward in the legislative process,” said Hale Crumley, policy manager for Prosperity Indiana in a press release.

“We believe this language was right to not pass the House of Representatives because it is extreme, illogical, and even counterproductive to solving homelessness.”

The bill faced widespread opposition from housing advocates, including members of Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition (HHNC), who argued it would have penalized individuals for being homeless rather than addressing the root causes of the housing crisis.

However, advocacy groups caution that the fight is far from over. It remains possible that the bill’s language could be revived through an amendment to another piece of legislation, a common practice in the Indiana General Assembly.

Crumley told of a saying in the legislature: “It’s not over until Sine Die,” the final adjournment of the legislative session in late April.

For now, housing advocates are celebrating the bill’s failure in the House.

“Today was an important step in our collective work to focus on real solutions to unsheltered homelessness,” said Dr. Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, executive director of the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.

“We stand firm in our belief and in the evidence that housing and services is how we end homelessness. Fining and jailing vulnerable people for systemic failures is never the solution.”

With the legislature taking a break from February 24-28, advocates encourage continued pressure on lawmakers to ensure that similar language does not resurface in another bill.

“No matter where you are in Indiana, House Bill 1662 would have affected your community and the most vulnerable people in it,” said Jennifer Layton, president and CEO of Lafayette Transitional Housing Center.

“The official bill may be dead for now, but we all need to remain alert until the end of the legislative session.”