H38 East Apartments – Moving Forward 2.0

by Area IV Agency on Aging and Community Action Program, Inc.

Region 5 · Lafayette, IN
https://www.areaivagency.org/

Energy • Housing • Job Training

Overview

H38 East Apartments is a 32-unit affordable housing community which includes a wellness and fitness center, business and technology center, double classroom, nutrition demonstration kitchen, vertical and community gardens, bike share and car share programs, net zero solar apartments, Life Skills Coach and onsite management. This project was developed to end generational poverty by addressing several causes and conditions of poverty. Recently, this project was selected by the Indiana Lt. Governor’s Excellence in Affordable Housing Award.

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Local Need Addressed

As a Community Action Agency, one of our primary goals is to address generational poverty in high impact, transformational ways — integrating solutions to break the cycle of poverty.

Housing has nearly always been within the top three needs identified in this region of Kentucky.
There is a need for workforce housing in the Lafayette and West Lafayette area.
Along with housing, the barriers to successful employment and the reduction of intergenerational poverty include transportation, preventative health care, nutrition, education and skills development, and affordable child care.

A National Low Income Housing Coalition study found that for every 100 extremely low-income renters, only 35 rental units were affordable and available in 2016.

According to the same study, extremely low-income renters far outnumber the units they can afford.
Markets are also failing to produce new units with rents that many households can pay.
Only 31 percent of renters could afford (at 30 percent of income) the $1,550 median asking rent for a new apartment in 2017.
In Tippecanoe County on average a household spends 52 percent of their income for housing and transportation costs.

Transformative Impact

Aims to end generational poverty by addressing several causes and conditions of poverty; and to track success and progress over time

Offers residents affordable housing, access to onsite educational opportunities, transportation, affordable childcare, and employment training

Utilizes solar panels and geothermal energy; residents have no heating bills

Evidence-Based Outcomes

H38 East Apartments officially opened in January 2020, so there are no qualitative/quantitative data to clearly establish its impact.

However, the partnership has implemented measures that will establish this evidence base and research will track progress over time. The onsite Life Skills Coach will monitor and track individual and family goals including, but not limited to, acquiring and maintaining employment, meeting basic needs and progression out of poverty, enhanced education credentials and work skills, children and education, and impact on intergenerational poverty.

Customer Voice

Area IV/Real America utilizes a Customer Satisfaction Survey that is provided to every resident of H38 East Apartments. Additionally, the Rand Corporation is in the process of sampling the residents to measure customer voice, progress, and overall view of the success of the project. The survey gathers input as to the efficacy of services provided, allows for residents to provide constructive feedback as to the quality of services offered and encourages input from residents as to what services are needed that are not currently provided.

Equity Lens

Area IV is gathering demographic information on every resident within H38 East Apartments, and this data is to be analyzed on an annual basis to determine the impact on different racial/ethnic groups in the community as well as steps towards breaking the cycle of poverty among vulnerable populations. Customer satisfaction and community input is being gathered in both the short term and in the future.