Hamilton County is in the process of finalizing its 2024-2029 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan, the planning document that serves as the overall guide for how CDBG funds are used.

The Noblesville Housing Authority administers and provides housing and community development services for all of Hamilton County. Community Development Program Manager Michelle Westermeier updated the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners on the consolidated planning process July 8. The housing authority partnered with Prosperity Indiana and Usona Development to gather the data presented in the plan.

Westermeier said the Consolidated Plan identifies and updates community needs and priorities in areas of community development and affordable housing and proposes strategies on how to best use the resources available to meet those needs. The plan is a requirement to apply for CDBG funds, which are administered by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and designed to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income residents. CDBG funds support housing and social services for low-income residents, inducing home repair, public facility construction and rehabilitation, demolition of unsafe structures, summer youth programs, employment training and senior services.

“The intent is that it benefits households that are living with a low to moderate income, and that is up to 80 percent of what the area median income is,” Westermeier said, adding that more than 30,000 households in Hamilton County qualify for assistance.

“About one in every four of our households in Hamilton County qualify,” she said.

To create the draft plan, the housing authority held a series of meetings with stakeholders including local government agencies, social service agencies and housing providers.

“We tried to get as much input and robust feedback as we could on the concerns (stakeholders) have with the clientele that they serve and any ideas on what we can possibly tweak or offer as we move forward,” Westermeier said. “Affordable housing was the number one priority. Even our public service organizations, while they may be serving low-income folks with their programs and providing that firsthand assistance, they all across the board did feel that the CDBG funds would be best utilized focusing on affordable housing projects.”

Addressing homelessness and creating avenues for people who may be in danger of losing their homes is also a priority in the plan.

“We did have a couple mentions of offering a home repair program, which we have offered in the past,” Westermeier said. “There does seem to be a continued need for that. We are looking for possibly in the next couple of years to open that home repair program back up… to meet some of those needs for seniors that are looking to age in place or if there are urgent issues due to referred maintenance.”

Additional proposed projects include:

Community land trust — A capacity building fund of $100,000 was recommended, with funds earmarked to kick start housing land trust activity to assist with an affordable housing pilot project.

Acquisition of land — $1.2 million would be allocated to acquire existing rental units throughout Hamilton County and placed in a land trust to remain affordable in perpetuity. Rent receipts would return to land trust for additional acquisitions, and funds may also be made available to nonprofit developers.

Baker’s Corner — The recommendation utilizes $552,110 for infrastructure costs for acquisition and infrastructure for development in northern Hamilton County. The county began water and sewer infrastructure expansion at Bakers Corner last fall, the area west of U.S. 31 from 216th Street 296th Street.

City infrastructure projects — The project proposed $2.2 million earmarked for projects in Noblesville, Westfield, Fishers and Carmel, including streets and sidewalks, flood drainage and ADA modifications. The plan proposed would provide one large award to each city over the five-year period instead of five annual awards. Projects must serve CDBG eligible areas or CDBG eligible clientele.

The 2024-2029 Consolidated Plan draft is available for public review and comment through Aug. 9. The plan must be submitted to HUD by Aug. 15.

Learn more about Hamilton County’s Community Development Block Grant Program at gonha.org/cdbg.