A Hamilton County nonprofit that focuses on housing needs for low- to moderate-income residents is making another small dent in the county’s big lack of affordable housing.

HAND, Inc., which stands for Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development, is almost ready to open Cumberland Cottages, its newest housing development at the corner of Cumberland Road and 141st Street in Fishers, with an open house set for Aug. 1.

The 2-acre development comprises 11 units. Six are designated for residents who qualify as low income — up to 60 percent of the average income for the area — and five will be offered at market rate.

According to information from HAND, a qualifying 60-percent income for a family of four would be about $58,000 a year. A three-bedroom unit at that income level would cost about $1,265 a month, compared to a market rate unit at about $1,900.

During a tour of the almost-completed development, HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis said that previously, HAND didn’t manage any properties in Fishers and had been looking for an opportunity in the community.

“In 2019, we had our first conversation about it and then applied for funding to acquire the land and build the units,” she said. “After (COVID-19) and some rezoning and some cost increases, we made it happen.”

The result is a development with eight duplexes and three cottages, a mix of two- and three-bedroom, two-story rentals. All are built with accessibility in mind — wider doorways, a ground-floor bedroom and roll-in showers for the ground floors — and one is officially ADA accessible. They all have attached one-car garages.

Davis said Cumberland Cottages is HAND’s first development for families. Its other properties were developed to serve seniors. She said housing has become one of the county’s biggest challenges.

“The cost of a single-family home in Hamilton County has increased 88 percent. It’s just not sustainable,” she said. “If your income is going up 1, 2, 3 percent a year and housing costs are going up double digits, sooner or later, you just aren’t going to be able to afford it.”

She pointed out that affordable housing benefits more than the people who live in low-income homes.

“There are all these businesses around here that make this a great place to live,” she said. “For a $15-an-hour job — if you live in Indianapolis, how many $15-an-hour jobs do you drive by on your way to come up and work at the McDonald’s up here? Sooner or later, you’re going to say, ‘Why don’t I just work in Indy at this McDonald’s?’ And now I can’t get my Diet Coke in the morning — believe me, that would be a disaster.”

The Cumberland Cottages development cost HAND about $4.6 million. Davis said it was funded through a combination of grants and loans. Rental income will go toward paying back the loans.

“HAND isn’t going to pull any income off the property,” she said. “Typically, we build our properties to be self-sufficient, so that they can continue to mow the grass and pay the bills and all that good stuff. We haven’t yet drawn any income off any of our properties.”

An open house for Cumberland Cottages is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 1 at the site, 13995 Cumberland Rd. There is extremely limited parking at the site. Davis recommended that neighbors interested in touring the development walk over, adding that a neighboring HOA has agreed to let people park at its clubhouse, 14099 Meadow Grass Way.

Davis, a Fishers resident, said the nonprofit is always looking for opportunities to expand housing options in the county. In addition to the Fishers project, HAND is completing a rehabilitation project for three homes in Noblesville and just received a grant to build three duplexes in that community. It also has properties in Carmel, Cicero and Sheridan in Hamilton County; and has reached beyond county lines with developments in Boone and Tipton counties.

For more about HAND and its programs, visit handincorporated.org.