INDIANA – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority announced the distribution of nearly $1,700,000 to six Indiana not-for-profit entities to administer the HOME-funded Tenant Based Rental Assistance (HOME TRBA) program.
The organizations will assist income-eligible households with at least one member who was formerly incarcerated. The program aims to increase housing affordability, stability, and choice for this population, which experiences homelessness at a rate almost seven times higher than the general population.
IHCDA’s allocation included $500,000 in HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) Supportive Services funds to six Indiana non-profit organizations to ensure that all households assisted by HOME TBRA are offered or connected to a comprehensive set of supportive services that promote long-term housing stability.
“The HOME TBRA program is critical in assisting low-income households with affordable housing options,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “We are pleased to provide this funding to support formerly incarcerated individuals and ensure they have access to stable housing and supportive services.”
IHCDA launched the re-entry-focused program in 2018 in acknowledgment of the specific barriers to housing formerly incarcerated individuals face. IHCDA administers this program by partnering with not-for-profit organizations that offer participants essential services and support such as housing navigation, referrals to mental health and substance abuse treatment, legal aid, job training, employment assistance, and ongoing case management, in addition to deposit assistance and an ongoing rental subsidy. In 2022, IHCDA’s HOME TBRA Program served 162 households across the state of Indiana.
HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance funds and HOME-American Rescue Plan Supportive Services funds were awarded to six organizations:
- Affordable Housing Corporation is awarded $400,000
- Aurora, Inc. is awarded $200,000
- City of Vincennes is awarded $200,000
- Family Promise of Hendricks County is awarded $100,000
- Kokomo Housing Authority is awarded $399,889.40
- Mental Health America of West Central Indiana is awarded $399,767.67
The final policy manuals and Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) were released on Nov. 28, 2022. Responses to the RFQ were due on Jan. 9, 2023. Eligible respondents were 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, public housing agencies, or units of local government.