BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A plot of land once considered to house a new jail in Bloomington, will be transformed into 250 homes for families thanks to Habitat for Humanity.
Monroe County Commissioners said they want to create affordable housing in the area.
"The property that we own was earmarked for jail,” said Amanda Barge, Monroe County commissioner. “The commissioners feel strongly that we don't want to expand and build a bigger jail in this community. We want to do something innovative and we want to help people and we want to create affordable housing.”
The first builds would cover about 14 acres and offer 40 single family homes in what is being called the “Affordability Village” by Habitat for Humanity.
"If a child is in a stable housing situation, they're 116 percent more likely to graduate from high school," said Darryl Neher, CEO and President of Habitat for Humanity Monroe County. "We have seen families that when they get into stable housing, they not only thrive for the family, you start to see them thrive in their career.They don't have to scramble to find a new place to live every three months."
Herb Ault, who helped build his Habitat home a few blocks away said he is excited about the plan, as his house has allowed him to provide shelter for his two grandchildren.
"It would be great. It's a lot of hope,” said Ault. “I've heard the word hope mentioned quite a bit through Habitat. You couldn't pick a better word. It's a lot of hope for the community."
An additional 35 acres will be used for developers to experiment with veteran housing, tiny homes, container homes and more.
