A county judge is ordering the state to reopen a federal rental assistance program that it abruptly shut down in March.

The judge said the state's decision to end the program before federal funding ran out was made without any reasonable basis.

Indiana received federal funding for a rental assistance program in 2021, as part of a COVID-19 relief package. The money for that program expires at the end of September 2025.

There is still nearly $30 million available for that program. But the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority told applicants in early April that it was ending the program immediately.

Three Hoosiers at imminent risk of eviction and homelessness sued to reopen the program. And Marion County Judge Richard Blaiklock sided with them, ordering the state to process applications it had already received and accept new applications until the money runs out.

In his ruling, Blaiklock said Indiana offered "no findings, no analysis, no documented assessment to justify shutting down" the program months before it ran out of federal money.

The immediate next steps for the program are uncertain, as the state can appeal the judge's ruling.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.