New Kiosk Offers Help to Hamilton County Residents Facing Eviction

(Photo courtesy of Hamilton County)
The new kiosk in the Legal Self-Help Center is available to help Hamilton County residents who are facing eviction understand their legal rights.
Court Administrator Jill Acklin

Hamilton County residents facing eviction or housing instability now have a free legal resource at their fingertips. A new desktop computer, scanner, and printer with access to IndianaLegalHelp.org were installed in the court’s Legal Self-Help Center last week.

“In Indiana, housing evictions are considered a civil matter,” said Court Administrator Jill Acklin, “Which means individuals are not provided legal representation and are often left to navigate the legal system on their own. Resources like these are critical in helping Hoosiers access the resources they need – especially those who don’t have access to reliable internet connectivity.”

The Indiana Bar Foundation received a 13-million-dollar, two-year grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to fund the development and deployment of 120 self-help kiosks. At least one will be placed in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.

Each kiosk provides legal forms, instructional videos, referrals to free and low-cost legal services, and a statewide calendar of free legal advice clinics. The kiosks will begin offering other legal topics later this year.

“These kiosks are an innovative solution to increasing access to justice and providing underserved communities services they so badly need,” Acklin added.

Individuals needing legal help with an eviction or housing instability are encouraged to access resources offered at IndianaLegalHelp.org