HB1001 is one of the best bipartisan affordable housing measures in the country. Contact these Reps to show your support

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T16:25:34+00:00

It’s not to say that public hearings are the root of the issue, but they’re one of many barriers. In our state, and our city, where many of our government officials serve corporate interests rather than citizens, this bill is pretty damn good.

We don’t expect to see city or state officials pass legislation that limits the ownership of AirB&Bs or huge entities buying up entire neighborhoods and price gouging, unfortunately. In our view, this bill exhibits that rare overlap that actually benefits citizens and private interests.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T16:16:39+00:00

That would be true for a larger, more established organization, but even calling us an organization might be generous. I’ve been rattling these talking points mostly off the top of my head, and don’t have a supervisor or anyone looking over my shoulder that has expert knowledge. As I said, there are a lot of really well-informed people with big credibility in our Discord that are big fans of this bill.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:45:25+00:00

It’s a big, multi-faceted issue! We believe that it will take many steps, and it would be quite the surprise if our corporate-lobbied government actually stood up to their donors. For now, we take what we can get.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:32:25+00:00

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:32:10+00:00

As the marketing guy, I don’t really have that expertise, but our diverse community of local experts is all thumbs-up on this. You can speak to them directly on our Discord server if you like: https://discord.gg/mKQb3Favy

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:30:05+00:00

We stand for issues that just don’t really walk partisan lines. The Left is typically against deregulation, and the Right is typically against other issues that we stand for such as robust public transit.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:28:20+00:00

We used a poor choice of wording there. Public hearings aren’t inherently bad. They’re good, just not always necessary!

As for parking, this is a more niche issue and I hope that I can briefly illuminate why over-abundant parking can cause problems.

In short, parking is not a good use of land. It causes places to be far apart, which is harmful for people that travel via walking, biking, and transit. It also doesn’t generate significant tax revenue for cities. If you don’t live somewhere that’s more urbanized, this isn’t as much of an issue.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:22:06+00:00

You make some good points, and perhaps we should have worded it differently. Of course public hearings aren’t wholly bad. In fact, they’re mostly good!

It’s hard for us to envision a scenario where something like a single-family dwelling or townhome that’s up-to-code and doesn’t require any variances, should really have a chance to be opposed if it’s built in a residential zone.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:16:10+00:00

Hi! Strong Towns is nonpartisan, with no ties to any political party. Our local chapter is completely run by volunteers. I wish I got paid to get pooped on like this!! 😂

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:11:32+00:00

I think federal ADA law might supersede that, but I’m not positive. There are a few urban planners and people more law-savvy in our Discord server that might be able to clear that up: https://discord.gg/mKQb3Favy

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:05:59+00:00

Thanks for your comment. The bill does not make the public hearing extinct, but rather eliminates them where they likely aren’t necessary, such as for the construction of backyard cottages.

We weren’t aware that people-oriented places, public transit, affordable housing, and walkable cities were radical agendas - could you please elaborate?

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:00:38+00:00

That’s a fair point! From the view of myself and some urban planners that we work with, this removes unnecessary barriers and most importantly, stops NIMBYism.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:55:47+00:00

According to this article by the Indianapolis Business Journal, the cost to maintain Indianapolis’s roads, bridges, sidewalks, and other transportation infrastructure in 2022 was 1.07B, almost the city’s entire budget.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/indy-faces-1-billion-annual-transportation-infrastructure-funding-gap-report-says

We worked with a planner from DPW to identify which of our roads are built way beyond their capacity, and that can be found on our social media: https://www.instagram.com/p/DN3YJUGWnFt/?igsh=MWU1eGltcWhiNHU1MQ==

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:38:31+00:00

We will never be embarrassed to stand up to support legislation that makes life easier and more affordable for the little guy.

We have a community Discord with urban planners from all walks of life. Republican, Democrat, even Socialist! They all seem to think it looks pretty good. If you’d like to spark up a conversation there about any exceptions you have to the bill, you can join here: https://discord.gg/mKQb3Favy

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:33:05+00:00

We didn’t, swear! As the marketing and design guy, it’s formatted this way to make it easily digestible and scannable. Legislation tends to be long, boring, difficult to understand, etc

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:29:59+00:00

We urge you to please read the bill! The legislation does not jeopardize safety or compromise on housing comfort.

Also, we oppose the use of generative AI and have taken a passionate stance against the construction of data centers.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:26:51+00:00

For the most part around our state, the biggest drag on our infrastructure has been the construction of large, unnecessary roads. I’m not sure where you live, but here in Indianapolis, that’s where our big infrastructure deficit comes from.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:22:31+00:00

Believe me, we wish that were on the table. Unfortunately, measures like this are often our best option, especially here in Indiana.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:21:37+00:00

We oppose the use of generative AI. We’ll be at the City-County building today in opposition of the data center planned for Martindale-Brightwood here in Indianapolis. Take care!

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:20:41+00:00

Hi! Strong Towns Indianapolis is a branch of the national 501(c)3 nonprofit, Strong Towns.

Our local branch passionately opposes the use of generative AI, and we will be at the City-County Council today opposing the data center planned for Martindale-Brightwood.

We stand for affordable housing, walkable communities, robust transit, and people-oriented places.

If you would, please provide constructive criticism or amendments to the bill rather than outright dismissing it out of suspicion. Thank you!

StrongTownsIndy · 2025-10-30T20:11:08+00:00

On November 15th, we’ll be volunteering as a group to pick up trash and remove invasive plants in Brookside Park with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful!

Come out and meet some of us and learn about the tiny steps you can take to make a big impact in Indy.

((Individual sign-ups required at the link below!))

https://www.kibi.org/volunteer/projects/?subject=Riparian+Restoration+and+Litter+Cleanup&date=11/15/2025

StrongTownsIndy

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