Homelessness rises, as Boone County lacks housing affordable to working people
Jun. 21—Only a third of the community leaders invited to a meeting to tackle homelessness in Boone County attended.
The recent meeting was the first of what organizers hope will be a series of meetings to alleviate homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. They hope to form a local housing team to lay a path for change.
About 50 attendees included pastors, mental healthcare providers, medical healthcare providers, Realtors, a library branch director, and officer holders, including Center Township Trustee Casey Samson, Lebanon City Councilman Dick Robertson, and Boone County Councilwoman Elise Nieshalla.
Affordable housing doesn't mean project housing, Sonjia Parker with the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority (IHCDA) said. It means housing that working people can afford to buy or rent. Boone County is critically lacking in affordable housing. And cases of homelessness are on the rise.
Love INC. of Boone County helped five households totaling nine people who were without shelter two years ago and 105 households representing 238 people last year, Love INC. Co-Executive Director Marcia Overfield said. And Love Inc. isn't the only Boone County agency helping the homeless.
Boone County's median gross rent is $1,100 per month, compared to $900 in Marion County, and $891 in the state, Liz Greene with the IHCDA said. One-bedroom units in Boone County start at an average of $950 and reach as high as $2,300 per month, "which is not a realistic ask," she said.
Home ownership is also difficult. The median home cost in Boone County is $270,000, while a high proportion of the county's homes here are valued in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, Green said. None are valued at $50,000 or less, which are often homes sought by first-time buyers or senior citizens, she said.
An alarming number of residents are forced to spend 50% of their income on housing, rather than the recommended cap of 30%, leaving them no resources for daily needs or the unexpected. They live just one flat tire or medical emergency away from homelessness, Greene told the group during a lunch meeting at the Lebanon American Legion. And when they lose their homes, there is nowhere to go.
No shelter
Boone County has no shelter for the homeless. Love INC. has two transitional, short-term apartments. But they and other local agencies also house people in hotels when possible, or help them get to the nearest shelter, said Michelle Standeford of Live for Life.
Live for Life, among other services, provides supportive housing in a Lebanon home for women dealing with addiction. But space is short, and Standeford said recently, in just one week, she helped three families living in cars.
An increasing number of families, adults, and even young adults are living long-term in cars, tents, trailers, motels, and other places not meant for human habitation, Greene said.
Willing partner
The IHCDA gets federal money to aid local agencies that provide services to the homeless. In Boone County, Aspire Indiana Health can do intake interviews with those seeking shelter. Love INC. and Live for Life also come into contact with a great deal of people experiencing homelessness and work with Aspire to get them on a list for available shelter. Then Aspire offers wrap-around services, such as mental healthcare and life skills coaching to help keep them housed.
The agencies don't force a particular form of housing on anyone. "We want you to be a Hoosier where you want to be a Hoosier," Greene said. But, because prices are so high and inventory so low in Boone County, families are moving to other counties where they can afford to rent or buy and leaving behind their families, support systems, and jobs.
Their children must switch daycare providers and schools, and the family has to seek new medical care providers, Parker said. And all of the upheaval can be very traumatic, especially for children, she added.
Greene encourages more agencies to train to do intake assessments to get help for those in need more quickly.
What to do
Standeford, who organized the meeting with Overfield, said the community can take other measures to alleviate the crisis and hopes that more local leaders will attend future meetings.
Some cities, but not Lebanon, have landlord and rental property registries and require landlords to have their property inspected between tenants. That cuts down on ramshackle repairs and harmful conditions, Standeford said.
Standeford also advocates for working with landlords so they know where to seek resources and will become less inclined to evict tenants. Green said the state has programs for landlords that will pay for potential rent and damage done by tenants. And that can encourage landlords to allow less desired tenants, including felons, who most landlords immediately reject.
The community could also work with a developer who would build affordable housing here, she said.
Those who wish to attend the next meeting should call 765-577-1505 or 765-482-1652 to get on the email invitation list. Or, email to liveforlifeindiana@gmail.com, marcia@loveincbc.org or traci@loveincbc.org.
