A new housing study finds that Hamilton County businesses will find it more difficult in the future to find and keep employees of those potential workers cannot find affordable housing.

The study, conducted by Greenstreet, Ltd., shows that 18,735 low and moderate-income households locally are spending more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on housing, reducing funds available for other necessities. Rising housing costs also impact households earning more than the area median income. A family earning $97,920 annually, for example, can afford just 28 percent of new homes here and only 12 percent of current listings.

The study results will be presented at a day-long conference sponsored by Noblesville-based nonprofit HAND, which deals with housing issues.

“The Housing Collaborative believes that Hamilton County should have a full range of housing attainable for anyone who wants to call Hamilton County home—during every stage of their lives,” said Andrea Davis, HAND’s executive director, in a news release. “Without a diverse housing inventory, the county risks its ability to expand its workforce, attract young adults looking for a place to settle, and keep seniors in their community of choice.”

More than a dozen local leaders in the housing and economic development fields will dig into specific parts of the study as part of the conference.

The HAND conference gets underway at 8am, May 4th, at at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Noblesville. For more information on the conference, use this link.