As part of the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII) initiative, the Community Foundation received funding to explore the affordable housing landscape in Kosciusko County, specifically housing for low- to moderate-income households.
The goal of this initiative was to conduct research that provided recommendations and key findings for the area and to identify solutions to meet the housing needs of low- to moderate-income households, according to a news release from the Community Foundation.
The income definitions used for the report were:
• Area Median Income (AMI): Median family income of a metropolitan or nonmetropolitan area.
• Extremely Low-Income (ELI): Households with income below the federal poverty guideline or 30% AMI, whichever is higher.
• Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI): Households with income below 80% AMI.
Prosperity Indiana analyzed local, state and federal data sources, synthesized information from national reports, conducted 20 stakeholder interviews and administered a housing survey to Kosciusko County households that receive social services. Based on this research, the following key facts were found:
• Kosciusko County has a deficit of 935 affordable and available housing units for extremely low-income renters.
• Renters were three times more likely to be cost burdened as homeowners in 2022.
• Kosciusko County’s growth in housing units was 3.5% between 2012-22, but still below the county’s 4% increase in population during that same time.
• Kosciusko County ranks third in the state, behind Allen and Marion counties for the number of manufactured housing communities.
Further research and study findings led to six priorities for Kosciusko County:
1. Catalyze an affordable housing steering committee, coalition or task force.
2. Clarify the narrative and terminology of affordable housing for use by local stakeholders.
3. Invest in housing stability services.
4. Create specific strategies for mobile home and rural residents.
5. Increase support for home repair, modification and maintenance services.
6. Develop more housing for low- to moderate-income residents.
“The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors identified access to housing as a strategic priority a number of years ago,” said Stephanie Overbey, Community Foundation CEO. “Since that time, the Community Foundation has invested in the collection of data to help us better understand housing needs and has supported the development of housing for individuals who need it most. A recent example of that investment is our support of Habitat for Humanity as they build their next four homes. We can’t do the work alone, so we are making this most recent report available to the broader community and are looking for ways to support collaborative efforts to make housing more accessible for all.”
To read the complete Affordable Housing Strategies for Kosciusko County report, visit https://www.kcfoundation.org/about-us/publications.