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Brian Regan to return to Honeywell Center’s Ford Theater — Page 5 January 12, 2022
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WABASH, IN PERMIT NO. 233
Vol. 44, No. 44
New program designed to spur home purchases, fight population decline in Wabash By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
are part of the workforce, based on the particulars of the program.” The program offers the aforementioned assisA new tool designed to help potential homeowntance options. ers in the City of Wabash with down payments was “This is a self-funded program,” Chasey said. “It unveiled Wednesday, Jan. 5, at Wabash City Hall. serves the middle income borrowers earning up to Hoosier Homes will provide 3, 4 or 5 percent down 140 percent of the area median income, which in payment assistance options at competitive rates for the City of Wabash is $89,180. That’s regardless of qualified individuals seeking to purchase a home in family size. That could be anywhere from a single Wabash. borrower earning up to $89,180 who would qualify The program was rolled out by Mayor Scott Long for this program.” and Ryan Chasey, Housing Resource Hub coWithin the first month of the program going live, founder and chief operations officer, during a meet- 65 individuals have checked to see if they’re eligiing with real estate agents and lending officials. ble for the program. Of the 65, Chasey said, 70 perThe city’s cent have efforts are twobeen eligible. “That’s a fold. The probig number, in gram is a month, with designed to just some help stimulate social media home buying in to promote the City of that,” he said. Wabash. But “We’re hopeofficials hope it ful as the will help to word gets out reverse the popfrom this ulation loss the press confercity has experience today … enced since the it will only 1980s. help to spread Chasey said the word that the City of this is anothWabash and the er tool that mayor are leadthose who ers in the state in trying to Mayor Scott Long listens as Ryan Chasey, Housing Resource Hub co- want to live in address housfounder and chief operations officer, explains the Hoosier Home program. Wabash can use to help ing challenges. Photo by Joseph Slacian achieve their “Mayor Long housing dreams.” has been the first leader to lead the housing strateThose interested in seeing if they are eligible for gy process,” Chasey said. “The City of Wabash was the program can download a free app called Club the first Northeast Indiana community to actually 720. have a housing strategy. He’s done an outstanding “On there, you will be able to really identify what job in mobilizing the local leadership and pointing your housing dreams are,” Chasey said. “They can them in a direction identifying sites and working see if they are eligible and if they qualify. If so, toward adding units, which we all know is a key they can get linked up with a lender on there who piece of addressing the housing here.” can help them. Hoosier Homes is “an important tool because it “We’re hopeful that this is the first of many tools will help to attract and retain talent here, so that that will be available on the Club 720 app. We’re in Wabash can grow,” Chasey continued. “It does that discussions to look at some tools for folks who may because this is a tool that is available to a lot of want to renovate their homes. We have some local individuals. It is focused on workforce. It serves borrowers and those who want to buy homes who Continued on Page 13.
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