Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services Assistance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners to review appeal after Fairfield Township denies Nicole Lee $825 in housing aid
Summary
At a July 15, 2026 appeal hearing, Tippecanoe County commissioners heard from petitioner Nicole Lee and Fairfield Township Trustee Casanova about a denied $825 housing assistance request; commissioners took the matter under advisement and said they will issue a decision within five business days.
Tippecanoe County Vice President Thomas P. Murtaugh convened a July 15 appeal hearing after Fairfield Township denied Nicole Lee $825 in housing assistance.
County Attorney Doug Masson told the commissioners that the hearing’s purpose was to review the Fairfield Township Trustee’s decision and that "Commissioners can ask clarifying questions and have five days to render a decision." The denial cited an income threshold for a one-adult household of $1,956 and other financial findings.
Nicole Lee testified that the $1,956 figure referred to mid-May to mid-June and that she has been caring for minor family members since January 2026, which increased expenses. She said she had reduced work hours at a transportation company and used her 2025 tax refund to pay three months’ rent and $500 toward an electric bill. Lee told the board she received $380 from other agencies and applied $220 toward rent arrears; she said her June rent balance had been $1,259.50, for which she initially paid $600 and then used two approved personal loans to cover the remainder.
Fairfield Township Trustee Casanova explained that a mid-April calculation of Lee’s income, when combined with a lump-sum tax refund, was "nearly $6,000, exceeding the income threshold," and that loans or family-provided funds factor into income determinations. Casanova said the township verifies income over a 180-day period that, in Lee’s case, extends to the end of July. The trustee also told the board that Lee could reapply after 30 days (on or after July 29, 2026) and that assistance, if approved later, would cover $650 for rent arrears; assistance for August would be for a $685 low-income housing amount.
Commissioner David S. Byers asked whether Lee could secure low-income housing by August or September and urged her to prioritize getting $685 in housing assistance while continuing to make payments on the $650 rent balance and loan obligations. Byers then moved that the commissioners take the meeting information under advisement; Commissioner Murtaugh seconded. The motion carried and Vice President Murtaugh adjourned the meeting.
The commissioners did not issue a final ruling at the session; Attorney Masson said the board would issue a determination within five business days following the hearing.
