(La Porte County, IN) – The La Porte County government could dedicate funds to address the lack of affordable housing.
On Wednesday evening, La Porte County commissioners recommended approval of spending $345,000 to subsidize a twelve-home development project in Michigan City.
Homeward Bound, a grassroots organization, focused on providing affordable housing in La Porte County, wants to build 12 homes in four buildings on Karwick Road, across from Pottawattamie Park Golf Course.
Rent is kept affordable as there is no funding to pay for the works to save on interest rates, said Sandra Keller, who works for the organization.
“We fund 100% of the development,” she said.
Keller said rent for each and the two-bedroom unit would range from about $400 to $600 a month for low-to-middle income people, who are expected to have income from sources like a job or a pension. .
She described the more than $2 million development as a “cooperative-based rental housing village” featuring lots of open space and other things like gardens, pathways and bike storage.
There would also be a community building for the occupants, who would be key to the daily operations of the village to gather.
Keller hopes the development of the site will take place in the first half of next year and will build other similar accommodation locally.
“We’re looking at doing this and different projects like this across the county,” Keller said.
The recommendation of the commissioners will be forwarded to the Departmental Council of La Porte for a final decision.
