The 2022 midterm election campaign ends in less than two weeks, as voters choose their candidates on Nov. 8. Constituents are looking for solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Indiana, a problem that is affecting the entire nation.
Across the state, housing affordability has become a crisis as both home sales and rental costs have risen to record levels. What can be done to alleviate the crisis? We reached out to candidates running for state senate in Allen County to learn more about their proposals.
Sen. Travis Holdman (R-District 19) is running for reelection with a campaign focused on community development. Earlier this year, Holdman included provisions on Indiana Bill SB 382 for a state tax credit that would benefit projects addressing the housing needs of workers.
The bill will take effect next January and it will provide up to $30 million annually over five years in affordable and workforce housing state tax credits, for a total of up to $150 million. Eligible taxpayers must apply to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority with qualifying construction projects to receive the state tax credit.
Democrat Zach Heimach, who is seeking to replace retiring Sen. Dennis Kruse in District 14, worries about the difficulties young professionals currently face to afford housing.
Incomes have decrease from 2021 to 2022, making it unaffordable for residents to rent or buy homes for their own comfort. The graph below, with data collected from the Center for Housing and Policy at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, indicates how affordable it is to own a house in different regions of the state of Indiana. Index values of 100 or above indicate that homeownership is affordable for a median income household.
Heimach said that, even though affordable housing may not be the core issue for the majority of the senate candidates, it is a very serious issue. He believes government should prevent major corporations from buying real estate to make a profit, in order to provide more affordable housing.
“We have to go to the people experiencing this, listen to the people who are well diverse people in to order to keep it affordable,” Heimach said. “If we don’t know the answer, we just must find the answers.”
State Sen. Liz Brown (R-District 15), who is unopposed for re-election, and Republican candidate Tyler Johnson, who is running against Heimach for the District 14 seat, did not provide information on their plans to provide affordable housing in their districts.
With the 2022 Midterm Elections coming up in November, voters are looking into candidates to learn about their proposals to improve the quality of life in their communities. This story looks at the affordable housing policies of the candidates running for State Representative in Allen County.
Democrat Kyle R. Miller, who is competing with Republican Davyd Jones to fill the position of State Rep. David Abbott (R-District 82), believes loan and rent assistances should be available to a larger segment of the population. He proposes increasing the income threshold to qualify for Indiana’s down payment assistance program.
Miller also suggests that banks should help fund development in downtown areas, and that the government should partner with financial and lending institutions for incentives to build in overlooked areas such as southeast Fort Wayne.
“One of the things we would want to watch out for is making sure that there is not a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It’s great to get someone into an apartment or a condo, affordable housing, but if that benefit is only good for three or four months, that’s only going to help very little,” Miller said.
Miller suggests that lenders should weigh more than just credit history when approving mortgages, but rather also look at other things such as bill and rent history.
“I think that the biggest issue that we are going to have is trying to figure out how to implement some of these things and solve some of the ‘why’s’ as to why we are having these issues,” he said. “It’s going to take little things, rather than just solving it in one bill or one fell swoop.”
Davyd Jones’ campaign website did not include his position on affordable housing, and he could not be reached for comment.
‘Housing should be for people, not companies’
Abby Norden, an Independent candidate running against incumbent State Rep. Martin Carbaugh (R-District 81), blames market conditions for the lack of affordable housing in her district.
“We have outside companies, or individual investors coming into our city and buying up as many properties as possible,” Norden said. “Housing should be for people, not for companies, and if we continue to let a select few own the housing market, we will continue to see price gouging in the housing and rental markets.”
Norden believes that a way to help alleviate this problem in the area would be by improving residents’ salaries and regulating rent increases.
“I will work with the communities who need housing the most to help them meet their needs while simultaneously working with legislatures to raise the minimum wage and cap rental prices at affordable rates,” Norden said on her plans to combat the shortages.
Carbaugh’s campaign did not send any information on his housing proposals upon request. In the past, he has opposed legislation related to affordable housing. Earlier this year, Carbaugh refused to hear House Bill 1326, which would have addressed discrimination in home appraisals and lending. Due to his refusal, the bill died after missing the House’s deadline.
In 2018, he authored House Bill 1319, which if passed would have created a loan program with three-to-12-month loans of $605 to $1,500 with annual percentage rates up to 222%. This 222% APR is just about triple of what Indiana law classified as criminal loansharking. If the bill had passed, it could have made paying back housing loans difficult for many Indiana homebuyers.
Housing Task Force
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-District 80) currently does not have a public statement on affordable housing on his campaign website, and his press team did not give any information in response to our inquiry.
However, he is a member of the Housing Task Force that was created through House Bill 1306 earlier this year. As a member of this force, GiaQuinta and other representatives are working to learn the best strategies in combating shortages in affordable housing.
Another goal of this task force is to end discrimination against homeowners who are having their homes appraised. To see how to best design plans in Allen County and Indiana as a whole, the task force is looking at plans from other states.
Incumbents Christopher Judy (R-District 83), Bob Morris (R-District 84) and Dave Heine (R-District 85), who are all running unopposed, do not have any positions listed on their campaign websites to address housing affordability. Their press teams didn’t respond to messages.
By Emily Coverstone, Sydney Hamblin and Megan Isenbarger
The family poverty rate in the state of Indiana is at a ten-year low, but similar to the rest of the United States, Indiana is facing a severe shortage of affordable housing for Hoosiers.
The state is facing a shortage of 135,033 affordable and available rental homes, according to a report produced by Prosperity Indiana and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Only a handful of candidates running for U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative positions during the 2022 election are planning on taking a stand when it comes to affordable housing.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Indiana) and U.S. Rep. André D. Carson (D-District 7) are two incumbents running for re-election who have chosen to focus on housing affordability during their campaigns, after observing how the housing crisis has affected the nation.
Drivers of housing costs
Young believes the housing affordability crisis is happening due to discriminatory local zoning and land use policies that drive up housing costs in communities across America.
Young has already begun taking steps to ensure that Hoosiers can find affordable housing. He helped introduce the Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Act which aims to better understand and respond to America’s housing affordability crisis by evaluating and quantifying the impact of housing costs on other government programs to create innovative solutions to aid cost-burdened families.
According to The Polis Center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, cost-burdened families spend more than 30% of household income on housing related expenses. Households spending more than 50% are considered to be severely cost-burdened.
Young hopes to fix the state’s current regulations to allow Hoosiers to find affordable housing in areas where they work and where children can get quality education.
“These policies exacerbate the housing affordability crisis and stifle the ability of Americans to move to areas of opportunity,” Young said on his campaign website.
Young’s Democratic opponent, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr., did not include a position on affordable housing on his campaign website, and his campaign staff could not be reached for comment.
James Sceniak, a Libertarian who is also seeking Young’s seat in the Senate, also decided not to focus on affordable housing as one of the top issues in his election bid.
“I wanted to focus on what I believe is most affecting Hoosier life, and although affordable housing is one of them, polls are showing there are more concerns like inflation and even how we’re taking care of our veterans right now,” Sceniak said in a phone interview.
Instead of focusing on affordable housing, Sceniak decided to make his top priorities medical freedom, VetCare, fiscal sanity, criminal justice reform, gun rights, and abortion.
Demand for affordable housing continues to grow
In the race for the District 3 Congressional seat currently held by Rep. Jim Banks, neither Banks, Democratic challenger Gary Snyder, nor Independent candidate Nathan Gotsch, outlined any housing policy priorities on their websites.
However, incumbent Rep. André Carson, a Democrat who represents Indiana’s 7th Congressional district, says he is committed to doing everything in his power to keep Hoosiers in their homes and help hardworking, American families avoid losing their homes through default or foreclosures.
Carson says Hoosiers deserve to live in homes that meet their basic needs, but affordable housing for working families has become harder to find and is expected to become more difficult as the demand for affordable housing continues to grow.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis also found that around the same time, the national median sale price for a single-family home jumped 25% from $327,100 in the fourth quarter of 2019 to $408,100 in the fourth quarter of 2021. The greatest increases were in the West, Midwest and Northeast.
Potential solutions to the crisis
Carson supports programs that provide housing assistance to Hoosiers in need as well as public-private partnerships and community development projects that expand affordable housing for more families.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced in September that the city had signed an agreement with JPC Affordable Housing Foundation and Berkley Commons LLC to resolve the city’s lawsuit with the two entities concerning two apartment complexes that were causing issues for tenants.
“This settlement will keep tenants safely and stably housed, while forcing a sale to a responsible owner with the resources and commitment to operate these properties,” Hogsett said in a Tweet.
This settlement will keep tenants safely and stably housed, while forcing a sale to a responsible owner with the resources and commitment to operate these properties.
Carson praised Hosgett for the city’s actions in a Tweet on social media saying, “Safe, affordable housing is a human right.”
“I am grateful to the City, State, & @citizensenergy for using the tools at their disposal to save these residents from a public health crisis… We must do more to protect tenants from predatory landlords. Without the ability to withhold rent and demand accountability, Hoosiers are left vulnerable.”
Carson’s Republican rival, Angela Grabovsky did not list any housing policy priorities in her campaign material; a website for Libertarian candidate Gavin Maple could not be found.
Safe, affordable housing is a human right. I am grateful to the City, State, & @citizensenergy for using the tools at their disposal to save these residents from a public health crisis. https://t.co/XRsi0zQTO9
Focus on earning potential, financial incentives to build, and ‘crowdfunding”
Housing prices tend to rise with inflation, according to HomeGuides. A home’s value will begin to increase along with the inflation rate. With the increasing numbers of home values, this means that when selling a house, it’ll be at a much higher price and won’t be as affordable as it would’ve been before inflation.
On Zillow, the average cost of a house in 2022 is $212,953. That amount is considered a large and fast-growing increase since 2019, when the same house would have been sold for around $150,000.
Some politicians are hopeful that by implementing new rules, regulations and protocols, they will be able to provide relief to those who are being affected by the housing crisis.
“There are a lot of things we can do to make housing more affordable,” Sceniak said.
There are solutions to the housing crisis that the state of Indiana, and the other states, can consider if they want affordable housing to become more prominent. One solution that is typically tossed around is to use creative finance to allow more people qualify for a mortgage and buy a home, as well as provide more affordable rental housing.
Many companies have developed approaches called “crowdfunding” to help buyers in the housing market and to also seek investors, according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Crowdfunding in real estate is where people come together online and pool their money to purchase property as a group.
Crowdfunding is considered to be a great way to begin the investment journey in real estate without needing to spend an excessive amount of money.
Another possible solution is to incentivize new construction of affordable homes.
Financial incentives are required to stimulate both the supply and demand sides. Developers and builders can be encouraged to build new homes that are within reach for future or first-time buyers. According to the World Economic Forum, the way the incentives work is they buy down the capital costs overall when it comes to new housing or renovation projects.
Some of the candidates have taken action in addressing the housing crisis on a local level. Along with the Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Act, Young introduced and secured passage of the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act. Found on Young’s website, the act “enables the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and public housing authorities to begin developing new models for incentivizing greater choice and improved mobility in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program”.
Overall, there is a major affordable housing crisis in Indiana. Some Hoosier candidates have made this crisis one of their top priorities in order to make a positive impact on their state, while others have not. Whoever is elected will define whether the state will be able to make strides toward more affordable housing in the future.
The general election is Nov. 8. Visit https://indianavoters.in.gov/ for information on polling locations and to check registration status.
Growing up, many of us have heard the story of Peter Pan taking Wendy and her two brothers to the magical island called Neverland. They go on an adventure and defeat Captain Hook, return home, and then they all live happily ever after. But has anyone ever wondered about the story before the story? Who was Peter Pan before he lost his shadow? Before he met Hook? Before finding Neverland and the lost boys?
From Nov. 11 to Nov. 19, students from Purdue Fort Wayne will be holding performances of the Tony-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher in the Williams Theatre at Purdue Fort Wayne.
Based off the novel by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson, the music filled show upends the century-old story about an orphan boy who turned into Peter Pan. The show will feature a dozen actors portraying more than 100 unforgettable characters many may recognize, while using imaginative stagecraft to bring all the magic from the story to life.
Not only will the audience get to learn the backstory of Peter, but many may learn about the lives of Mrs. Darling, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook.
The shows are open to all, with the admission fees as follows; $5 PFW students, High School Students, and Children under 18 / $18 for Adults / $16 Seniors, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni / $14 Groups of 10 or more / $14 other college students with ID.
From Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19, the show times will be at 8 p.m., and Nov. 13 and 19 show times will be at 2 p.m. Two shows will be performed on the 19th.
Patrons are encouraged to call in advance to reserve their tickets and to arrive early before show time. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of management or at intermission.
As Americans become divided throughout the nation, an Indie-Rock band known as The Bergamot have set out to unite America through a timely journey to all 50 states.
The band is made up of husband-wife duo, South Bend natives, and IPFW alumni, Nathaniel Hoff and Jillian Speece.
The Bergaomt has shared the stage with many other artists such as the Barenaked Ladies, All American Rejects, X-Ambassadors, Young the Giant, and more.
On January 2nd, 2016 Hoff and Speece set out on tour to all 50 states of America in hopes of spreading a message of unity through performing 265 shows and by inviting the curious to sign their message of unity on their station wagon known as The Unity Car. (watch the trailer here)
Throughout their journey, The Unity Car wound up being adorned in messages of unity from people all throughout the nation who supported the duo and wanted to become united with those either in the same state as them or on the other side of the country.
One should know that every journey has its rough patches, this means Hoff and Speece had their limits tested. Yet, with their love for each other, God, and people met throughout their journey, they kept on traveling and finished their State of the Unity after 6.5 years.
According to the State of the Unity Directors Statement written by Jillian Speece, she said, “Out on the road, we learned unity starts within, in your mirror, at your kitchen table, on your street with your neighbors, in your community, state, country, and then in the world”.
Earlier last month on Oct. 7, they brought the film to Heartland International Film Festival and screened State of the Unity at Newsfield with a Q&A and live performance by the Bergamot.
“We hope our documentary, “State of the Unity”, can give you a bit of hope and inspiration you can take with you into your daily life” said Speece.
To learn more about The Bergamot and their journey, read the State of the Unity Directors Statement written by Jillian Speece.
Calling all paranormal investigators! If you or anyone you know love spooky stories or enjoy hunting for ghosts, ghouls and goblins, then this local event is for you.
On October 25, 28, and Halloween night, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. the Bell Mansion located at 420 West Wayne Street, Fort Wayne will be offering guided flashlight tours.
People from all around can attend for the price of $25 and tour around the historical building with just the help of their flashlight.
The guided tour will be a total of 2 hours and throughout it, a guide will provide all the paranormal stories that they or others have experienced there in the building. The tourists will be able to explore all 3 stories of the mansion. Along with the 3 floors, tourists will be able to visit the basement that still have the original gurneys, body boxes, and embalming tables that were used when the building was a funeral home for more than 93 years.
Visitors may be lucky enough to visit the original embalming room where tons of bodies were embalmed when the funeral home was still active.
To get tickets, you can go online to www.thebellmansion.com or also pay with cash or card at the door before entering.
Don’t worry if you missed all the hauntingly fun tours so far. Every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. visitors can tour the building and learn how to use paranormal equipment and possibly capture their own paranormal activity.
Some students who finish their studies here at Purdue Fort Wayne may choose to pursue further education at some sort of graduate school. The Career Development Center offers services intended for those students who wish to go further with their education.
“More employers are seeking candidates with more advanced education. Even if a master’s degree isn’t listed as a required qualification, many companies will offer a higher starting salary to those holding advanced degrees,” PFW’s Career Handbook states.
Before deciding to enroll in the Counselor Education program at Purdue Fort Wayne, current graduate student Kaliyat Gamba said she thought extensively about what program would be the best fit.
“Grad school is expensive. I wanted it to be worthwhile at the end of the day. Before I went, I had to know what I am really passionate about,” Gamba said.
The Career Development Center offers a grad prep appointment, where students meet with a career counselor to discuss what the student is looking for in graduate schools. The Center also discuss scholarships and deadlines, Tracey Hanton, associate director for career development, said.
Hanton said she also likes to think beyond the academic aspects of preparing for graduate school, like preparing a student who is planning to go to school in a cold place.
“In July, you need to go get your car looked at. You don’t want to get out there in the middle of November and realize that you need new tires, sitting out in the middle of Colorado. That’s not the time to find out that you need new tires, July is the time to find out if you need new tires,” Hanton said.
After making the decision where Gamba would attend graduate school, she said she still had to produce several documents to lead her to the point where her admission status was in the hands of the school.
According to the graduate studies section of the Purdue University Fort Wayne website, in order to apply to a Purdue Fort Wayne graduate program, a prospective student must provide official transcripts, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, application fee, and additional materials subject to the student’s program of choice.
Gamba said she struggled the most with drafting her statement of purpose.
A statement of purpose is a 700–1500-word essay describing why you want to go to the school and what do you hope to learn out your chosen program, though this varies with each program, Hanton said.
Gamba said, “I wanted to stay true to why I was going into the program, but also try and not sound too generic. It took me a few weeks and I was satisfied by what I came up with, because I believed it was true to my desires, passions, and drives.”
The Career Handbook Development Center states that preparation for graduation involves many steps and that a student should usually begin the steps throughout their junior year.
Gamba said, “In hindsight, I wish I started a year ahead. Because of unforeseen circumstances, I had to start in the fall instead of the summer semester. If you want to be intentional about grad school, 12 months before you start is a good time to get the ball rolling.”
Interviews can be considered intimidating for some students at Purdue Fort Wayne, and so the campus has thought about this small factor by having the PFW Career Development Center offer a variety of services for students to use when preparing for any upcoming interviews they may have.
The interview preparation services the Career Development Center offer include online mock interviews, feedback and advice from career counselors, a career closet and information regarding what to do and ask during interviews.
Tracey Hanton, PFW’s associate director for the Career Development Center, said career counselors help students to understand the job industry that they are looking at and what might be some pieces of information that are important to know about their industry that is going to help them prepare for their interview.
Purdue University Fort Wayne students have access to Big Interview, an online service to practice and record virtual mock interviews.
The service allows you to virtually practice as many interviews needed, and you can choose questions created by a specific industry and major. All responses can be reviewed if needed later. You can even send recorded interviews to our staff, and we’ll provide feedback,” according to the PFW Career Development Center’s website.
Ryan Pezley, a PFW Communication senior who has used the Career Development Center for interview prep, said, “The mock interviews really help you focus in on what kinds of questions the interviewer might ask, and how to appropriately respond to those questions, and doing the mock interviews helped me kind of get an idea on how to craft those responses.”
Students are able to send their mock interviews to staff, along with make appointments to talk with career counselors about any questions or concerns they may have dealing with interviews.
The Career Development Center also offers an opportunity for students to get professional clothing at no cost. The Mastodon Career Closet is located in Neff Hall, Room 361. Currently, students get to keep the clothes and are able to get up to one complete outfit per semester.
“Students don’t have to use it just for an interview. They could have a presentation in class and maybe everyone is dressing up and they don’t have a shirt, or they don’t have a tie or they don’t have dress shoes. It’s anything that is career related,” Hanton said.
The Career Development Center has a career guide that has a section offering a variety of information dealing with interviewing and etiquette. It provides information like types of interviews, a guide to interview research, tips on proper attire and etiquette, types of behavioral and illegal questions, along with how to negotiate salary and more.
“Successful interviews require preparation to make a good impression,” according to the PFW career guide.
Calling all Mastodons! On October 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Purdue Fort Wayne will be hosting their annual Trunk or Treat in parking lot 6 located on campus.
Children of all ages are welcome and are also encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costumes for the event.
“This event is helping out the Diaper Bank, Mission Motherhood and FWCS! We will be accepting donations of menstruation products and diapers to donate to the organizations,” said Onestini Jones, PFW junior.
Jones and her Communication class hope to achieve their goal of helping those in need who aren’t able to buy the products on their own.
FWCS will be providing the products donated to them to their schools for young women.
The Northwest Allen County Schools Board of Trustees met at the end of August to discuss a variety of topics that affect the corporation. One of the bigger items on the agenda was the voluntary annexation of North West Allen County Schools (NACS) properties.
Huntertown Town Manager Beth Shellman and Council Member Brandon Seifert spoke to school board members and requested that the school corporation consider the voluntary annexation of Carroll Middle School and Eel River Elementary School into the town limits.
Huntertown officials say the town is growing rapidly and they want to continue annexing to the West and to the North. They say the first step in that process is annexing the school corporation’s property.
Huntertown Town Manager Beth Shellman pointed out “The town doesn’t normally extend their water and sewage unless you’re in our corporate limits, currently, Carroll Middle School and Eel River Elementary school utilize Huntertown’s water and sewage systems.”
“This is the only school property that we have service for utilities that is not apart of our corporate limits. The school doesn’t pay property tax so it really doesn’t affect you one way or another. And you’re already on our utilities” said Shellman.
If NACS does not sign the voluntary annexation, Huntertown will have to opt for an involuntary annexation. Town officials say it is more costly and takes longer than the voluntary annexation, but it’s something they are willing to do.
“The school wants to have a good relationship with Huntertown and not be in an adversarial posture, but the property tax caps are the issue,” said NACS School Board President Ronald Felger.
Shellman said the fiscal plan shows that there is zero negative tax impact for the school corporation.
Huntertown officials say that by annexing, they will also be taking on a portion of the street maintenance on Hathaway Road with no additional tax increase coming from the school.
In response to Shellman, Felger stated that following the last annexation, the corporation lost about $60,000 in the first year due to the property tax caps. Although the proposed annexation is projected to be tax neutral for the district it could lead to future annexations, which could open the door to future property tax cap loses.
Additionally, NACS School Board Vice President Kent Somers stated that he doesn’t think Carroll Road and Hathaway Road could handle the additional 1,600 to 1,800 houses and the traffic they would bring.
“Huntertown has a 5 year pavement improvement plan, and the road reconstruction project on Carroll Road will be done next year and the Hathaway Road project is set to be done in 2027” said Spellman.
After hearing from Huntertown Officials, Spellman and Seifert, the NACS School Board decided they needed more time to consider before signing the petition for voluntary annexation.
“It sounds to me like we need a little more information, but we’re not saying no…” said Felger.
The school board doesn’t want the burden of the property tax cap losses to fall on the taxpayers.
“It’s just the estimated property tax cap losses that have to be made up.” said NACS Superintendent Wayne Barker.
The NACS school board motioned to table the conversation on the Huntertown annexation until they receive further information.
