Apply
Donate

The Affordable Housing Landscape in La Porte County, in 2026

The Current Crisis

The Numbers Tell a Stark Story:

  • Workers in Indiana need to earn $22.18 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment at fair-market rent, but the average wage in Indiana is only $18.05 per hour. This leaves a $4.13 hourly gap. This situation is unsustainable for everyone and leaves our most vulnerable at the highest risk of becoming unhoused.
  • 14 of Indiana’s top 20 most common occupations pay median wages below the housing wage, impacting 810,610 working Hoosiers. Examples of these professions would be nursing assistants, industrial truck operators, and child care workers.
  • Indiana’s median renter household income of $43,672 ranks last among Midwest states, $3,708 below the regional average
  • La Porte County has a 5-6% vacancy rate, indicating a tight, competitive rental market in which most available rentals exceed HUD’s Fair Market Rent affordability thresholds.
  • La Porte County has 783 income-based apartments, but that’s nowhere near enough to meet demand. Even with housing choice vouchers providing an average of $500 per month in rent assistance, low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

The Human Impact: According to Center Township Trustee Lisa Pierzakowski, as quoted in a previous blog post about the affordable housing landscape in La Porte County, “Affordable rental housing remains in critically short supply in La Porte County, it’s virtually nonexistent for low-income households and limited even for moderate-income families.”

What’s Working: Current Development Projects

Several affordable housing projects are moving forward in La Porte County, in addition to Karwick Village, representing meaningful progress toward addressing the housing crisis:

Ivy Flats – Ready to start construction in 2026 at 205 Rumley St in LaPorte, this development will feature 16 deeply affordable apartments with onsite wraparound mental health services, addressing both housing and wellness needs. This project is owned and managed by Co-Action, one of our local community action agencies serving La Porte County.

Advantix Project – The City of La Porte secured a $1 million Ready grant to develop 42 single-family and townhome units across three sites, in partnership with the Health Foundation of La Porte and the Unity Foundation. Mayor Tom Dermody announced this award during the November 2025 State of the City address. Learn more about the Advantix Project.

Strategic Planning and Collaborative Networks

The response to La Porte County’s affordable housing crisis extends beyond individual projects to include comprehensive research and strategic collaboration across sectors.

Research and Planning Initiatives focusing on Affordable Housing in La Porte County:

  • The Health Foundation of La Porte partnered with the City of La Porte in 2022 to conduct a comprehensive housing study through SB Friedman Development Advisors. The study recommends adding more than 900 for-sale housing units and over 750 rental units to meet current and future demand.
  • The research found that the City of La Porte needs at least 240 “affordable units” and 660 “workforce units,” with Mayor Dermody citing a city study showing an overall housing need of 4,000 units at the November 2025 State of the City address.
  • The City of La Porte requested about $438,197 in Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for Program Year 2025 to support housing and community development activities. There has been no public announcement regarding the securing of these funds as of the publishing of this blog post.

Collaborative Networks Driving Change in our Community:

  • Health Foundation of La Porte’s TEN2030 initiative aims to make La Porte County among the top ten healthiest communities in Indiana by 2030, recognizing housing as a fundamental social determinant of health.
  • Prosperity Indiana has built a statewide network spanning all 92 Indiana counties with 200+ organizations and 1,300+ members working on community economic development using their REAP framework (Resources, Engagement, Advocacy, and Programs)
  • The Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition (HHNC), staffed by Prosperity Indiana, was formed in 2020 from Indiana’s housing security advocacy community and has become Prosperity’s fastest-growing coalition.

What Isn’t Working: Persistent Challenges

Despite progress on various fronts, La Porte County still faces persistent challenges that block or slow affordable housing development from meeting the demand. The core issue remains a significant supply-demand challenge. While the community is adding new affordable units through different projects, the identified need is in the thousands and there are very few deeply affordable units planned.  This gap means that even as new developments are completed, they are quickly absorbed by pent-up demand, doing little to relieve overall market pressure. For our project at Karwick Village, we had over 150 people interested in our 6 available units in the fall of 2026.

Additionally, the income-cost gap creates a perfect storm for working families. Two-thirds of Indiana’s largest occupations offer median wages lower than what’s needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment. This isn’t about unemployment or a lack of work ethic; these are working professionals in full-time roles that are essential to our community’s functioning. The $4.13 hourly wage gap is nearly three months of rent at fair market value, forcing families to choose between housing and other essentials such as healthcare, nutritious food, and transportation.

Low vacancy rates worsen these issues by creating fierce competition for limited housing. When vacancy rates stay around 5-6%, renters have little negotiating leverage and few alternatives if their current housing becomes unaffordable or unsuitable. Landlords can be selective, making it even harder for lower-income families to secure housing, even when they can afford the rent.

The affordable housing landscape, while promising, faces persistent obstacles, including restrictive zoning, limited financial resources, gaps between project costs and available funding, and the ongoing need for advocacy to secure support at the state and federal levels. Coordinating across various jurisdictions, stakeholders, and funding sources adds complexity and delays to projects that are desperately needed now.

How to Get Involved and Work Toward Solutions

The affordable housing crisis in La Porte County calls for a community-wide effort. Whether you’re a resident, business leader, developer, or policymaker, there are specific ways to help find solutions.

How to Take Action:

  • Join advocacy efforts – Connect with the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition or Prosperity Indiana’s network to add your voice to statewide housing advocacy
  • Support local nonprofits – Donate to or volunteer with us at Homeward Bound Villages, Co-Action, or Unity Foundation’s affordable housing initiatives.
  • Attend public hearings – Participate in Community Development Block Grant funding decisions and city planning meetings where housing policies are shaped. Visit your city’s local website to learn more about this.
  • Employers: Recognize housing as workforce development – Your employees’ housing stability directly impacts your business. Consider supporting living wage initiatives, partnering with local housing organizations, or exploring employer-assisted housing programs.
  • Developers: Explore partnership opportunities – Work with or learn more about the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and local organizations on innovative, affordable housing models.
  • Stay informed by reviewing the La Porte County Housing Analysis & Action Agenda and following updates from the Health Foundation of La Porte to understand ongoing needs and opportunities.

A Path Forward

The affordable housing crisis in La Porte County is serious and urgent, but the community is responding with strategic planning, collaborative partnerships, and specific development projects. While hundreds of new affordable units are in development, thousands more are still needed. Success will require ongoing commitment from all sectors, nonprofit, for-profit, government, and community members working together.

The foundation has been established through thorough research, trusted partnerships, and successful grant applications. Now is the time to scale these efforts, advocate for supportive policies, and ensure every family in La Porte County has access to safe, stable, affordable housing.

Resources to Know in the Affordable Housing Space:

Leave a Reply

Related Posts