Housing For Hope requested a variance from development standards from the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Monday to construct 69 parking stalls instead of the required 96 stalls for a multi-family residence. Housing For Hope is planning a permanent supportive housing project that also includes affordable housing on the parcel, along Frontage Road between Valley Forge Apartments and More Farm Store. The request was granted. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — A local nonprofit is hoping to help the homeless and low-income families with a housing project on Frontage Road that is a first of its kind in Kosciusko County.

At the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Monday, Housing For Hope requested a variance from development standards to construct 69 parking stalls instead of the required 96 stalls for a multi-family residence, Assistant City Planner told the BZA in presenting the petition to them. The parcel is along Frontage Road between Valley Forge Apartments and More Farm Store and will be occupying a vacant lot with only an access drive.

“The petitioner is planning a permanent supportive housing project that also includes affordable housing, which will have a total of 48 apartments,” Schrag said. “Permanent supportive housing is subsidized housing for people with chronic homelessness who may or may not own vehicles. Because some of the residents may not have cars, fewer parking spaces are needed. Moreover, the parcel contains a large portion of wetlands that would have to be disturbed if the variance is not granted.”

Schrag recommended the board grant the variance from development standards to allow the fewer-than-permitted parking spaces.

Board Vice President Rick Keeven asked if the petitioner was a government organization or what. Schrag said it was a nonprofit.

Brent Martin, a member of the Housing For Hope Board of Directors and architect and co-owner of SRKM Architecture LLC, spoke on behalf of the nonprofit. He was accompanied by Rob Ryan, Housing For Hope Board of Directors president and also the president and CEO of Bowen Center.

“Our request I think is pretty straightforward. Based on the kind of multi-family project it is, we don’t anticipate nearly two parking places per dwelling, which is your standard, and so therefore we’re requesting a reduction to 69 in lieu of the 96,” Martin said.

Keeven asked if they were a federal, state or local organization.

“Housing For Hope is a local nonprofit. It cooperates with the Bowen Center and Bowen Center people are on the board. Housing For Hope applied for an invitation to what is called The Institute for Housing. Very competitive. We were successful in getting that invitation and we just finished our last three-day section in Bloomington where you learn about how to create facilities like this that are uplifting and break the cycle of homelessness over time for the individuals that you are serving,” Martin said.

That’s part of the project. The other part of the project is what Martin called the “more traditional affordable housing. And that’s called low-income housing tax credits. You’re awarded tax credit allocation and then you – the nonprofit developer – using a syndicator, sells those tax credits and use the money to build the project.”

Dalton asked if the little access road off Frontage Road will still be open to Valley Forge Apartments or if it will be closed off.

“Right now, we’re finalizing the option for the land. As a point of discussion, it’s not a recorded easement of any kind as best as we can determine. But, quite frankly, allowing the backdoor for our residents through Valley Forge into that shopping area is very advantageous,” Martin said, and Dalton agreed.

Martin also said all that road will have to be demolished and a new road will have to be put in because of the current shape it is in.

Keeven asked about the expected completion date.

“If we are funded, the announcement would come in November of this year. Then construction would begin late spring of 2024, with completion in the fall of 2025,” Martin answered.

Keeven then asked if funding was state, federal or both.

Martin said the low-income housing tax credit was through the IRS, so that was federal, and there were about four other sources of funds – the Federal Home Loan Bank, Indianapolis, is private money; the home funds are federal dollars; and the Indiana Housing Trust Fund is state money.

“We’ll be rooting for you,” Keeven said.

Martin said this will be the first permanent supportive housing project in Kosciusko County and “we’re very excited to see it happen.”

Dalton wished them good luck, and the board approved the petition unanimously. There were no remonstrators.