Hobart council approves supportive housing apartments

Chicago Tribune

07-08-2025

Plans by CoAction to build supportive housing as well as office space for its staff can go forward.
Tentative plans are to begin construction in 2026, pending funding of the project which will be known later this year, CoAction chief housing officer Jordan Stanfill said.
The Hobart City Council gave unanimous approval on Wednesday to petitioners Stanfill and attorney Todd Leeth.
The petitioners sought a rezone in an established PUD or planned unit development to a new planned unit development on 21 acres located on the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and U.S. 30.
Leeth said the property, located in a wetlands area, does offer significant challenges.
But the planned 111-unit apartment complex would be built between lakes avoiding the wetland.
CoAction was founded in 1965 with a mission to help people be self-sufficient and to advocate for people who need to be supported and represented, according to the CoAction website.
In Northwest Indiana, CoAction plans and carries out a variety of programs that serve the unique needs of low-income families and disabled individuals in Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties.
The first phase of the project would be to build 36 apartments which would include office space for CoAction staff members.
A second and third floor with apartments would follow, Stanfill said.
Stanfill, at a previous Plan Commission meeting, said the apartments are for those individuals with no place to go and may include those who had been sleeping outside in tents.
'It (the planned housing) is for those in a housing crisis,' Stanfill said.
Leeth said the project had one remonstrator, a property owner in the area, but CoAction reached out to her and she was fine with their plans.
There were no remonstrators at the meetings but city officials, including Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun, said they had only positive things to say about the organization after visiting their facilities in other communities.
'Welcome to Hobart,' Huddlestun said.
In other business, Huddlestun said that there have been many unexpected delays with the contractors going forward with renovations on the Bright Spot restaurant in downtown Hobart.
'It's like Pandora's Box or like a box of chocolate; you never know what you're going to get,' he said..
Work should begin in coming weeks, Huddlestun said.
The city has written a letter to officials in New Chicago with regards to renegotiating its ambulance services.
Huddlestun said Hobart residents now pay around $1,000 per call for ambulance services while New Chicago residents pay $100 per call.
'We are asking to make the rate more equitable,' he said.
The ambulance service agreement with New Chicago ends at the end of the year.
The city recently swore in four new firefighters, all with EMT certifications.