The Noblesville-based nonprofit Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development, known as HAND, has opened six new affordable rental homes in Carmel. It’s the group’s latest effort to ease a housing shortage felt in Carmel, Fishers and across Hamilton County.
HAND held an open house and ribbon cutting Tuesday at Home Place Duets, at the corner of 108th and McPherson streets in Carmel’s Home Place area. The development includes three duplex buildings with six three-bedroom homes, one of which is accessible. Residents are expected to begin moving in this month.
HAND also has a presence in Fishers, where it operates Cumberland Crossing, an affordable housing development at 141st Street and Cumberland Road.
Affordable housing remains in short supply in fast-growing communities like Carmel and Fishers. From January through August, 560 people completed HAND’s online housing interest form asking to be placed on its waiting list.
“At the end of the day, this work is about more than completing a development,” said Andrea Davis, HAND executive director. “It’s about making sure people have the opportunity to live in a quality home and remain part of the communities where they work, raise their families and build their lives.”
Residents of Home Place Duets will be referred through Prevail Inc. and Family Promise of Hamilton County. To qualify, applicants must be experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. HAND will own and manage the homes, while the two partner organizations will continue providing services to the families they refer.
Each home carries a property-based housing voucher that stays with the unit. Qualified residents will pay 30% of their income toward rent, with utilities included.
“Each organization brings something different to the table, and together we can provide both a quality place to call home and ongoing support,” Davis said.
The $3 million project was funded through a mix of public and private sources, including HOME-ARP funding through the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, Hamilton County Community Development Block Grant funds and financing from Lake City Bank. H-E Homes served as custom home builder, Inherent Commercial as owner’s representative and CEC Inc. as engineer.
With the new homes, HAND now owns and manages 163 affordable homes across 12 rental communities in Hamilton, Boone and Tipton counties. The nonprofit was founded in 2003.
More information is available at handincorporated.org.