In Carmel, the gap between the types of jobs available and local residents filling them is expected to continue widening.
The issue was among topics discussed during the Carmel Mayor’s Housing Task Force meeting held June 27 at Carmel City Hall. The theme for the morning, Housing for All, covered challenges and solutions to building affordable housing in the city.
As part of a panel discussion, Mike Thibideau, president and CEO of Invest Hamilton County, said more than 80 percent of Carmel residents have at least a bachelor’s degree and that more than half of the working population commutes outside of the city to work. That means jobs that typically don’t require a college education, such as food service and home health workers, can be difficult to fill.
“The overall countywide demographic of our residents, from an education attainment standpoint, does not line up with the workforce demands of our employers,” Thibideau said.
Thibideau said Carmel, which has more jobs than working residents, competes with Indianapolis and other suburbs to attract workers. That’s why a child care worker makes $13 per hour on average in Marion County, where employees likely live near their jobs, but makes closer to $20 an hour in Carmel. He said the increased costs are typically passed along to families using the service.
“When that kind of wage premium is having to be seen across not only child care but home health, restaurants, retail and a number of other sectors, those (employers) are still going to come here, because volume is high, but it means the cost of living in the community as a whole rises,” Thibideau said.
Marchelle Berry, vice president of affordable housing development for Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, said she has worked with communities throughout the state to increase supplies of affordable housing. She said she turns to grants, loans, investors and assistance from municipalities as key sources in making the projects financially viable.
“There are solutions, and there is ability, but it does have to be intentional,” she said.
Andrea Davis, executive director of HAND, a nonprofit that develops and owns affordable housing throughout the county, said land and other costs make it difficult for her organization to build in Carmel. She said HAND, along with the Hamilton County Housing Collaborative, is considering the creation of a community land trust, which would own land and lease it out to homeowners to help it remain affordable long term.
“How do you protect the few remaining affordable homes from the market?” she said. “The reality is the market is going to come in. If it finds a home that needs significant updates, an investor can come in and acquire a property, make minimal investment in it and probably double their money in the real estate market we’re in right now. That’s not going to help folks who need an affordable option.”
The housing task force will dedicate its next meeting, set for 7:30 a.m. July 25 at Carmel City Hall, to gathering public comment. At its Aug. 8 meeting, the task force will hold a workshop to discuss the various topics and ideas it has reviewed since forming earlier this year.
