INHP: Helping Families Achieve the Dream of Homeownership

With the proliferation of COVID-19 in early March, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) altered aspects of their business model to better serve their families. Their vision—that every person in Indianapolis have the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, and affordable home in a vibrant neighborhood—has not changed, though their delivery of services has shifted to telephonic and virtual meetings and educational offerings. This includes a robust resource page on their website dedicated to providing their families with information and tools, like a downloadable budget and links to partner sites like Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, that may be able to offer assistance through the coronavirus pandemic.

Rob Evans

INHP employs eight HUD-certified housing counselors and also serves as a nonprofit mortgage lender. Executive Vice President of Homeownership Initiatives Rob Evans works on the people side of things, overseeing education and advising programs for those who want to become homeowners, as well as 0% interest, deferred payment loan opportunities for those who are already homeowners and who need financial assistance to complete essential repairs.

While INHP works to keep families safely and affordably housed, ultimately their efforts are about more than just putting a roof over someone’s head. “Being a homeowner is a lifelong dream for so many of the families that come to INHP,” says Rob. “So often, they are first-generation homeowners, meaning nobody else in their family has been able to achieve that before. And it represents a place to call their own.”

Right now, that dream is at risk for thousands and thousands of Indianapolis residents. But Rob has an important message for those families who are struggling through the economic upheaval of COVID-19: “Survey the opportunities and make sure you’re ready if you need them.” In many cases, he explains, this means being upfront with your landlord or your mortgage lender about the difficulties you’re facing. Often, they can provide you with various relief options, such as a 90-day forbearance on your mortgage. “It’s a losing proposition for a lender to foreclose on somebody,” he says. “They want you to be in that home and so they’ll usually work with you.” 

Rob stresses that these relief options should not be viewed as a free pass to not pay your rent or your mortgage. “These are tools for you to be able to manage through a crisis, to stay in your home,” he says. “But just because you can skip a payment doesn’t mean you should. If you can pay, you absolutely should—because nothing is free.” The important thing is to make a plan with your lender or your landlord to help guard against a future foreclosure or eviction. 

Currently, INHP is gearing up for the long-term economic consequences of this crisis, which they foresee including an increase in families with credit challenges, job losses, a lack of savings, a history of foreclosure—even fear can act as another barrier to homeownership. But Rob does not want these challenges to prevent people from going after what they want. “If homeownership is your dream and that’s a goal for you, that it is absolutely still possible,” he says. “With the right information and with the right education you can be prepared, and you can be successful for the long-term.”

To learn more about INHP and their services, please visit their website.