6/8/2005
Media Contact:
Steve Campbell, [317] 327-3622
Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-6709 |
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New web-based tool connects property owners with residents in need of quality housing
INDIANAPOLIS - Thousands of low and moderate income Indianapolis residents and Hoosiers across the state in need of a safe, decent place to live will now have a direct link to quality, affordable housing opportunities, officials announced today.
Mayor Bart Peterson joined state and local leaders at the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside neighborhood center to launch Indianahousingnow.org, a new statewide on-line database that provides a one-stop resource for renters, property owners and service providers to access real-time housing information.
Beginning today, any individual or family in search of an affordable place to live will have a free and anonymous tool to locate available affordable and accessible housing. Indianahousingnow.org provides low-to-moderate income renters with increased housing choices by centralizing information about available quality, affordable housing. Providing this information, housing officials say, allows tenants to select the best quality rental housing for the lowest price and promotes long-term family and neighborhood stability.
"While it is important to increase and improve the stock of quality, affordable housing units in our community, it is equally as vital that we more effectively and efficiently link individuals and families in need with existing housing opportunities they can afford," said Mayor Peterson, who pledged to help create an affordable housing database in his Peterson Plan II. "Indianahousingnow.org is that link that will enable residents, including those in housing crisis, to locate available, safe, decent housing options in seconds."
The new service provides property owners, including those that offer critically needed affordable and special needs housing, a place to list their rental or for-sale properties at no cost. Individuals and families in search of quality housing opportunities may access Indianahousingnow.org free of charge on any computer with Internet access, including computers at local public library branches or area neighborhood and community centers.
The easy-to-use database, which is also available in Spanish, allows users to search by basic housing needs, including the monthly rent they can afford and the number of bedrooms, and then provides a list of housing opportunities in the area that meets their selected criteria.
In addition to the online system, this information will also be available in Indianapolis by calling the HELPLINE at 2-1-1, visiting local social service providers, or contacting the Indianapolis Housing Agency, which will use this system exclusively to inventory and refer clients to Section 8 housing opportunities.
"The Indianapolis launch of Indianahousingnow.org is a tremendous step forward in bringing this valuable resource to the entire State of Indiana," said Michael Reinke, Executive Director of the Indiana Coalition of Housing and Homeless Issues. "We look forward to seeing this program utilized in every city across Indiana."
Though officially launched today, Indianahousingnow.org has been under development for several months in Indianapolis. During this time, social service providers and property owners have begun testing and using the new service, resulting in more than 1,100 total property listings thus far and 16,500 searches being conducted since April using Indianahousingnow.org.
Officials believe Indianahousingnow.org will create the most comprehensive list available of current housing opportunities, enabling local leaders to better assess the city's housing needs.
Peterson pointed out that the Blueprint to End Homelessness, Indianapolis' bold and aggressive plan to end homelessness, called for the creation of an affordable housing database like that of Indianahousingnow.org. He stressed, however, that Indianahousingnow.org is not limited to below market rate units.
Properties that are priced within 130 percent of the area's fair market rent, which in Indianapolis includes rents up to $751 for a two-bedroom apartment, are eligible to be listed on Indianahousingnow.org. Given Indianapolis' housing market, this criteria captures a substantial number of available housing units, the Mayor said.
Indianahousingnow.org. was developed as part of Socialserve.com, a program started by Non-Profit Industries, a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of affordable software solutions that address community needs. Several other cities and states have tapped into Socialserve.com, including St. Louis, Kansas City, and Colorado, and have seen success in their housing efforts. Thousands of residents in these areas have had their housing needs met through the service, and these communities have seen a dramatic decrease in housing vacancy rates.
Indianahousingnow.org. is made possible from investments by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Fannie Mae, the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (formerly the Indiana Housing Finance Authority). Other partners include the City of Indianapolis, the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), Information and Referral Network, the United Way of Central Indiana and the Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues.
Increasing quality, affordable housing opportunities in Indianapolis has been a priority for the Peterson administration. Just last week, the Mayor recommended at the CHIP annual meeting that $300,000 from the Indianapolis Housing Trust Fund be dedicated to rent assistance for those on the verge of homelessness. Those funds would be matched by The Indianapolis Foundation , with the matching dollars going towards supportive services.
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