INDIANAPOLIS -- A new luxury housing development in Carmel is dedicating a portion of their apartment units to people with disabilities.
"We need more of this across our state so that individuals can live independently but also have a quality of life,” Jacob Sipe the Executive Director of the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority said.
Old Town Companies is developing North End Apartments in Carmel. They will dedicate 40 of the 168 units to people with disabilities. Those who qualify will pay anywhere from $500-$850 a month for rent.
The state invested around $10 million to the $55 million project to make these units affordable. The company was the winner of the Moving Forward 2020 Tax Credit program. These kinds of developments are something the state would like to see in other parts of the state.
"We could do this in all 92 counties. It is replicable. The business model does work especially as we think about integrating it in with market rate housing,” Sipe said.
The units for those with disabilities will include a smart home feature, with the ability to have Alexa help them with their day.
There will also be a live in support tenant which can help those with disabilities if they are having any problems or need help with certain tasks.
The Arc of Indiana, which advocates for people with disabilities, says there is a lack of affordable housing for people with disabilities, and that developments like this are good.
However, the organization says that $500-$850 price point isn't something that is possible for all Hoosiers with disabilities.
"A lot of them may be on supplemental security income or SSI which is only $914 a month at the maximum,” Karly Sciortino-Poulter The Arc Advocacy Network Director said.
The Arc says for those on SSI, an affordable rent would be closer to $300 a month. However, they say this is a step in right direction.
"When somebody is able to have their own home, we see a lot of pride in that,” Sciortino-Poulter said. “We see those individuals start to flourish. They may be working. And they get to have the life that everybody else gets to have."
The market price for a 1 bedroom apartment in this new development will start at $1,600. Portions of the project will be finished in July with the entire project expected to be finished by September.
