Housing Programs

One of the Department of Metropolitan Development's goals is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing that will then provide for neighborhood stabilization and revitalization.  Within this goal, DMD partners with the members of HOUSE (Housing Organizations United Serving Evansville) to implement local housing strategies.

The purpose of HOUSE is to build trust and foster relationships among housing organizations and to inform members of the changing housing conditions in Evansville.  Through HOUSE, the City demonstrates the significant contributions of each individual member while leveraging these strengths for even greater success through collaboration to resolve the City’s housing issues.

HOUSE’s Strategic Plan for 2022 – 2026 can be found here Click Here

In the fall of 2021, Talent 2025 (now Talent EVV) as part of their Goal #4: Reduce the percentage of households living in poverty, reached out to HOUSE to better understand the state of affordable housing in Evansville.  HOUSE then undertook a 12-week Sprint Session in the hopes of identifying the who, what, where and how of affordable housing within the City.  The Sprint identified a number of questions that needed to be understood to make sense of Evansville’s affordable housing situation.  HOUSE created a table listing these questions, along with a short answer, the source of information and additional thoughts.  The HOUSE Sprint report was updated in 2022 to ensure that resource links were active.

To assist residents who are facing a housing crisis, HOUSE provides the following:

• Landlord/Tenant Brochure in English, Spanish and Marshallese
• Housing Rehab Assistance
• Quick Guide to Affordable Housing
• Financial Literacy Programs

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides formula grants to states and local communities to fund a wide range of housing assistance for low-income people.  The City of Evansville annually receives funds based on these formulas from HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG).  Subrecipient grants are provided to local non-profits to carry out specific, measurable projects and programs under each funding stream.  More information on these HUD programs can be found at:

• HUD HOME
• CDBG
• ESG

As a requirement of receiving an annual allocation from HUD, DMD prepares an annual Housing Needs Assessment (2024 HNA, 2023 HNA, 2022 HNA) with an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice produced every five years.  DMD and HOUSE use these reports to guide strategic development and to measure overall progress.  Additionally, the Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis for HOME-ARP Funding provides an analysis of lower income households facing one or more housing issues related to affordability and housing conditions and their vulnerability to homelessness.

Other Housing Related Resources:

The City of Evansville established the Commission on Homelessness to cease managing homelessness and aim to end it through Destination: Home a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

The City of Evansville’s Affordable Housing Fund’s purpose is to financially support the production, preservation and rehabilitation of housing within the City of Evansville for households at or below 80-percent of Vanderburgh County’s median income.  The Affordable Housing Fund Advisory Committee meets on the first Thursday of the odd numbered months to consider applications from individuals, nonprofits and other housing developers.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)program is the most important resource for creating affordable housing in the United States today. Created by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the LIHTC program gives States the equivalent of approximately $8 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households.  The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA)administers funds for the State of Indiana with a Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) detailing selection criteria and application requirements for the program.

The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana is a statewide membership organization for the individuals and organizations strengthening Hoosier communities.  Through PI, HOUSE connects to a broader perspective of community and economic development.