Effort marks critical first step in comprehensive review of housing inventory and needs
Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam announced on Tuesday the launch of the Carmel Housing Task Force, a team of local leaders, experts, and Carmel citizens established to study the state of housing in the city.
Designed to ensure the housing needs of all Carmel residents and support workforce needs of the business community, the task force’s findings will inform the city’s future housing strategy. The task force will hold its official kick-off meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 in the City Council Chambers.
Finkam
“I am incredibly excited for the official launch of the Carmel Housing Task Force,” Mayor Finkam said. “Throughout the campaign, I heard concerns about apartments, lack of single-family homes available to buy and housing affordability. This community-wide effort will better define the challenges we face and catalyze opportunities for an action-oriented policy to ensure the long-term sustainability of diverse housing options for future generations. I am so grateful for the time and commitment of our task force members and look forward to the public’s participation and input.”
Composed of nine members, the task force will spend the next several months learning from residents about the housing needs of the community and from industry experts about best practices to support them. Their meetings will focus on several critical topics outlined below. All topics will include data and trends from both the City of Carmel and the greater Indianapolis region.
- Current housing inventory and market conditions
- Population, demographics, and workforce trends
- Housing options and housing best practices with input from experts
- Construction and development trends
- Examination of trends and neighborhood programs of Carmel peer communities
The task force will submit its report to the Mayor not later than July 31, 2024, with general findings and recommendations available to the community shortly thereafter. The public will be invited to provide input throughout the process at a series of meetings in City Hall on the dates below from 7:30 to 9 a.m. according to the following timeline. All task force meetings will be livestreamed as well as open to the public.
- 23: Task Force kickoff; overview of Carmel economy and regional position
- March 21: Population, demographic and workforce trends
- April 25: Single-family housing market review and trends
- May 23: Multi-family housing market review and trends
- June 27: Housing-for-all approaches; peer city review
- July 25: Draft report
All Task Force members serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, and currently include:
- Adam Aasen, Carmel City Council
- Dave Bowers, Carmel Redevelopment Commission
- Barbara Eden, Carmel resident
- Todd Fenoglio, Carmel Clay Schools
- Matt Kaercher, Merchants Capital
- Chris Pryor, MIBOR
- Jack Russell, OneZone Chamber of Commerce
- Aletta Sanders, HAND, Incorporated
- Christine Zoccola, Carmel Plan Commission
The public is strongly encouraged to participate in this important first step to ensure the housing needs of all Carmel residents are met and that the city implements viable and sustainable development plans to address these needs throughout all phases of life.