KHEPRW Community Land Trusts Benefits and History

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/G9IzjtXTzJw How did housing inequality come about, and what can be done to help people obtain affordable housing in the future? This discussion of Indianapolis’ community land trust and what it aims to create for residents there provides a look into the history of housing in the US as well as the benefits of Community Land Trusts. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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Foreclosures on the Rise in Indiana and Across the US

Foreclosures on the Rise in Indiana and Across the US

by | Nov 1, 2023

Rising interest rates, home prices at never-before-seen levels, and inflation all play into the recent jump in foreclosures. Foreclosures happen when a homeowner stops making payments toward a property, and the institution (such as a bank) that financed the property steps in through legal action to take over the property and then sell it to recover all or a portion of its investment.  Some foreclosures are known as Real Estate Owned (REO) properties. They have gone into foreclosure, didn’t sell at auction, and are now owned by the original banker or lender. Other foreclosures come from government agencies. HUD homes, which are owned by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), result from mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that go into...

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INDY NONPROFIT PROVIDES SOLUTION TO CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS FOR STRUGGLING RESIDENTS

INDY NONPROFIT PROVIDES SOLUTION TO CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS FOR STRUGGLING RESIDENTS

by , | Aug 28, 2023

“THE SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IS HOUSING.” INDIANAPOLIS - Across the board, activists, social workers, academics, and others grappling with the national housing crisis agree that helping people experiencing homelessness find permanent housing is enormously challenging. But beginning in the early 1990s, communities across the country embraced a philosophy that came to be known as “Housing First,” and began providing permanent “supportive” housing with few or no barriers to entrance, while helping clients solve the complex problems that contributed to their homeless status in the first place. In 1993, Indianapolis banker Frank Hagaman recognized that the city was filled with abandoned buildings, while thousands of residents desperately needed safe, affordable housing.  Drawing on his...

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Fort Wayne’s Affordable Housing Needs, Challenges, and Opportunities

Fort Wayne’s Affordable Housing Needs, Challenges, and Opportunities

by | Jul 28, 2023

“Fair housing is all about taking the stigma out of affordable housing.” Sarah Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Fort Wayne Housing Authority (FWHA), spoke at the Fair Housing Summit in April about the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The housing authority’s efforts so far include: A total of 295 landlords participate in the voucher program. Their 2,600 affordable housing units house about 6,000 people.  Over half of voucher beneficiaries are children (under age 17). This means that more than 3,000 kids benefit from housing vouchers in Fort Wayne. Adults make up 47% of voucher beneficiaries.  However, the demand for affordable housing has grown. “We need more. We are doing great, but we need more.” Several factors contribute to this need.  The national poverty rate averages...

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The View from Vincent Village

The View from Vincent Village

by | Jul 24, 2023

FORT WAYNE — Sharon Tucker would love to work herself out of a job. As unlikely as that is, it doesn’t mean she stops trying. Since the fall of 2021, Tucker has been executive director at Vincent Village Inc., a campus in Fort Wayne’s Oxford neighborhood. Vincent Village includes a transitional homeless shelter and 34 rental homes scattered along the streets around the shelter, rented to residents on an affordable scale. From her warmly lit office, tucked into the basement of a former church on Holton Avenue, Tucker, who is also 6th District Fort Wayne City councilwoman, has had a front row seat to the real-world effects of inflation, rising rents and the affordable housing shortage. “When the tide rises, everything rises with it,” she said. “When the housing market was booming, that was...

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Is ‘Housing First’ Worth the Cost to House the Homeless?

Is ‘Housing First’ Worth the Cost to House the Homeless?

by | Jul 13, 2023

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories that explores the development of the Housing First philosophy and its use in communities around the U.S. and Europe. Housing First programs provide "permanent supportive housing" for people who experience chronic homelessness. This article was developed in partnership with Input Fort Wayne. Many people who experience homelessness choose to sleep on the streets of Fort Wayne rather than leave their beloved pets behind to enter a shelter. Others can’t stand the idea of being separated from a spouse or a partner who is not allowed to stay there.  Still others who struggle with addiction find they can’t honor a promise to stay drug and alcohol free in a shelter.   Those restrictions are among dozens of barriers to...

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How to Start a Corporation for a Housing Cooperative

How to Start a Corporation for a Housing Cooperative

by | Jun 23, 2023

After gathering with like-minded folks and agreeing on a common goal for cooperative housing, what does it take to set up a corporation for a co-op?  Figure out the structure of the corporation first. Consulting an attorney and an accountant can give you a picture of the best way to set up the corporation for your cooperative. Tap additional resources, such as the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), as needed. A resource list is provided on Fort Wayne’s Community Development website.  Deb Trocha of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center is open to talking with Hoosiers who are interested in setting up a cooperative. She sees significant opportunities for areas like Fort Wayne to improve housing market options for residents.  In the startup...

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In New York, ‘Housing First’ Approach Helps Unhoused People Find Stability

In New York, ‘Housing First’ Approach Helps Unhoused People Find Stability

by | Apr 26, 2023

Ronnie Hodge and her young son were living in her uncle’s apartment in the Bronx when the uncle suddenly moved upstate, leaving mom and baby with no place to go. She moved into a city family shelter along with her son and boyfriend of 15 years and spent three years there, struggling to cope with little personal space and no kitchen to cook in.  For Hodge, the stress was sadly familiar. As a child, she had lived in more than 30 foster homes, and as an adult, her alcohol addiction often left her unemployed. Shelter life contributed to a break-up with the boyfriend and left Hodge with depression and anxiety. Her son was also stressed and lost weight because he wouldn’t eat the food the shelter provided.  Then, in September 2020, a nonprofit called HousingPlus transformed her life....

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Community Land Trusts Are Building Disaster-Resilient Neighborhoods

Community Land Trusts Are Building Disaster-Resilient Neighborhoods

by | Apr 25, 2023

In late September, Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful and costly storms to make landfall in the U.S., tore through southwest Florida and caused an estimated $67 billion in property damage. But on Big Pine Key, a community 100 miles southwest of Miami that saw flooding and storm surges up to five feet, 27 nearly-finished cottages were still standing, largely unharmed. “It was a good test,” said Maggie Whitcomb, who helped develop the cottages. “You never want to have a storm, but it’s good to know after a serious weather event just how strong your construction is.”  Built atop 12-foot tall white podiums with water-resistant finishes and low-energy utilities, the cottages were constructed with structural insulated panels (SIPs), a strong, airtight substance made from...

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