Affordable housing project to open in Fishers

A small, affordable housing development that faced neighborhood resistance and narrowly gained city council approval will unofficially open Aug. 1.

Cumberland Cottages at 141st. Street and Cumberland Road will have 11 units, with six set aside for families earning 60% or less of the area’s median income.

The homes were built by Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development, a nonprofit organization formed in 2003 that builds low-income housing. Cumberland Cottages is its first project in Fishers. The rest are in Noblesville, Carmel, northern Hamilton County and Lebanon.

The Fishers development has four duplexes and three detached cottages with covered front porches and one-car garages. The property includes a community garden. HAND will host an open house at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Residents earning up to 40% of the area's median income can rent two of the 2-bedroom homes for $759 a month.

One 3-bedroom unit is available for $1,125 a month for residents earning up to 50% of the average median income.

And people earning up to 60% of the average median income can rent two 3-bedroom for $1,265 a month and one 2-bedroom unit for $954 per month.

The rest of the homes will be rented for the market rate.

The average median income for a family of four in the central Indiana region is $102,900, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The average varies depending on the size of a household.

The project cost $4.6 million and included a $1.5 million grant from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, a loan and corporate donations.

The project squeaked by the Fishers City Council on a 5-4 vote in February 2021. Councilors and neighbors had raised questions about how much traffic the project would generate, how it would affect their home values and who would be responsible for maintenance.

The first tenants have been selected and are awaiting final approval before they can move in. HAND is still taking applications but the waiting list could be long. At least 40 people applied in the first 24 hours two months ago, said Executive Director Andrea Davis.

HAND is also rehabbing two homes in the Historic Plum Prairies District in Noblesville and building a third. The 2-bedroom homes will be rented to people making less than 60% of the average median income.

Herron Property Management will operate Cumberland Cottages and will process applications at HAND’s leasing office, 901 Basil Ln. in Sheridan, by fax at 317-758-5434, or by email at handpropertiesinfo@herronmgmt.com.

Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at john.tuohy@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook and X/ Twitter .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Affordable housing project to open in Fishers