Housing continues to be a front-and-center issue in Hamilton County, and the local nonprofit HAND partnered with other local groups, including the Hamilton County Community Foundation, to talk about the issues in a local housing conference.  The discussions centered on the need for affordable housing within the local workforce.

Community organizations agreed that there is a “widening gap between household incomes and housing costs.”

The conference, held May 3rd at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville, featured local developers discussing how they navigate obstacles like high land costs and restrictive zoning ordinances.

Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman provided a brief update on the county’s plans to invest $5 million in federal ARPA funds to acquire land and build infrastructure for what she described as an “attainable housing development.”

The HAND news release about this conference contains the following fact:  “In 2023, Hamilton County has had more million-dollar home sales (58) than home sales under $200,000 (38).”  That provides some context into how difficult it can be to work in Hamilton County and find affordable housing.