The following statement comes from State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend):

"The fight continues to ensure all Indiana residents are afforded safe housing. We are still awaiting updates from the Attorney General's office regarding the N. LaPorte Avenue fire and other local housing concerns that have been raised, and we are looking at all legislative pathways to address this ongoing concern.

"A few years ago, the state tied the hands of local governments when it came to landlord-tenant agreements. As a result, we have some of the weakest tenant protections in the nation, and Hoosiers are suffering because of it. This year, the General Assembly had the opportunity to advance legislation that would improve protections for renters that could have prevented these recent local issues. Senate Bills 235 and 243 would have allowed renters to hold negligent landlords accountable for failing to make necessary repairs.

"While neither bill advanced past the Senate, no option is off the table in the second half of the 2024 legislative session. We need to revive language from these bills and amend them into germane bills moving forward through the legislature. It has never been more important to make concrete legislative progress on the issue of tenant rights.

"It is clear that this tragedy has shaken our entire community, and I will continue to make safe, affordable housing a priority."