Home Place Gardens almost ready to welcome residents

Home Place Gardens ribbon cutting

About 100 people attended a June 14 ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house  at Home Place Gardens, HAND’s first affordable rental community in Carmel.

Located on 2.4 acres south of 106th Street between College Avenue and the Monon Greenway, the development includes eight one- and two-bedroom duplex apartments for seniors ages 55 and older and two three-bedroom detached homes for families who have survived violence. Residents are expected to begin moving in this summer.

The free event was sponsored by American Structurepoint and Peterson Architecture. Three of the 10 units were open for self-guided tours so members of the community could see the quality construction and interior finishes for themselves.

“All too often, when people hear ‘affordable housing,’ they conjure up visions of notorious public housing projects like Cabrini-Green in Chicago or Brewster-Douglass in Detroit. The reality is very different,” said HAND Executive Director Jennifer Miller. “We look forward to showing our neighbors how well affordable housing options can blend into our community.”

Work on Home Place Gardens began last fall, with general contractor Meyer Najem overseeing construction. The Architecture Studio provided design services, and American Structurepoint handled site engineering.

The $2.6 million project was funded with loans and grants from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Hamilton County, Prevail Inc., Crosser Family Foundation and Woodforest National Bank.

Residents of Home Place Gardens must complete an income-verification process demonstrating they earn no more than 60 percent of area median income. HAND has a waiting list of more than 250 individuals interested in one of its 106 affordable rental units in Hamilton County.

Founded in 2003, HAND also has rental communities in Noblesville, Cicero and Sheridan, and it recently acquired 17 duplexes in Lebanon, Indiana. Its mission is to be a leader in promoting prosperity and diversity by providing quality housing opportunities.