A new initiative called Home For Good is packing a two-fold punch: providing military families housing while helping neighborhoods get rid of blight.
The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with the Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation (MFCDC) to launch this program that aims to build affordable homes on abandoned lots for qualifying veterans and their families to purchase.
“We’re going to begin by building four houses for veteran families with two on one side of the street and two on the other,” said Matthew Vincent, director of care for the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs (IDVA). “When you’re in the military, you become a close-knit community, and we hope building a cluster of homes for veterans’ families will help keep that connection and build a strong sense of community in those challenged areas.”
Vincent said homes will be worth an estimated $165,000 and have affordable mortgages. The administration is also working to secure numerous sponsorships to decrease mortgage costs. Families are expected to move in by the end of May 2016.
Indiana has the fourth largest National Guard in the country and nearly 500,000 veterans living across the state. Many of those who have served do so through multiple tours of duty, which can destabilize their families and make it challenging to reintegrate into communities. By connecting existing resources with veterans who qualify for Veterans Affairs home loans and by making good use of abandoned lots, the Home For Good program is a win for all involved.
Because of the high demand and home affordability, Vincent said he expects a flood of Home For Good applicants.
The first targeted Home For Good neighborhood is Mapleton-Fall Creek, a historic neighborhood in Indianapolis that is said to have seen its share of blight in the past, but is now experiencing an urban renewal through a comprehensive community development strategy and combination of public, private and philanthropic investment. Vincent said the administration wants veterans to be a part of neighborhoods that are up and coming, like the Mapleton-Fall Creek area, and what better way to plant lasting roots than in a neighborhood on the rise.
“This initiative is a classic demonstration of our ability to successfully partner across sectors and neighborhoods to create a lasting and comprehensive community development solution for all Indianapolis residents,” commented Leigh Riley Evans, CEO of the MFCDC.
Experts say this type of program helps Indianapolis, which, like many cities across the country, is fighting the problem of abandoned and blighted properties. Mayor-elect Joe Hogsett said during his campaign he wants to do a survey of every abandoned property in Indy and target those homes for demolition or rehabilitation and resale. The last survey was conducted in 2003 by students from Ball State University, who estimated there were between 6,000 and 10,000 such properties in the city.
Earlier this year, the Indiana Senate gave unanimous approval to a bill that would give Indy tools to clean up neighborhood eyesores in the corroding urban core.
“There’s plenty of properties Home For Good can build on and give vets a great place to live,” said Vincent.
The IDVA and the Indiana National Guard Family Program will work together with the MFCDC to recruit and qualify veterans; MFCDC will also oversee the construction.
Although this effort will initially begin in Indianapolis, Vincent hopes the initiative is replicated across the state in urban and rural areas.
“We’re thinking cities like Gary, Fort Wayne or Evansville. That’s where a lot of the need is, and the smaller communities have the trickle-down effect,” said Vincent. “We’re looking forward to growing this initiative.”
Interested veterans can apply now through February 8, 2016.
For more information, call (317) 232-3910, email Matthew Vincent at MaVincent@dva.IN.gov or visit IN.Gov/DVA.
