Today there are more families living in poverty than in more than 50 years*. And with the highest poverty rate in the state of Indiana, Monroe County families are struggling. We at Habitat for Humanity work with these families every day. For each Habitat family that becomes a homeowner, another three await, dreaming of taking the last step out of poverty.

Eliminating poverty is a moral imperative, and Habitat’s mission can be accomplished while protecting the environment and building a stronger community. We address housing in a community, cultural, and environmental context, as has been demonstrated by our past 20 years of infill construction and our initial neighborhood, Cedar Chase.  

In late 2010, Habitat purchased six acres of land along the site of the future B-Line trail expansion to be home to its next neighborhood of simple, decent, affordable homes.  After extensive research and due diligence, this B-Line neighborhood land meets the criteria we set for building modest, beautiful homes in a beautiful setting.

While the land is zoned such that we can build starting any day, we want to again partner with the Bloomington community to shape this neighborhood’s design and features. We invite you to learn more about this new hope for families in need. Below are the facts about the future B-Line neighborhood and what it means for Habitat and the Bloomington community.

How does Habitat select its build sites?

Once Habitat identifies an affordable lot, it must be assessed to ensure the safety of our future homeowners. The number of vacant lots for purchase has been significantly limited because of environmental hazards, such as PCB contamination.

Additionally, we seek to build close to services whenever possible.  The location of the B-Line neighborhood is in fact a very sustainable location for housing.  Residents will be able to walk to work, school, and many services, reducing pollution caused in an otherwise car-dependent culture.

Why was the B-Line property selected?

For more than 20 years, Habitat sought solely in-fill lots within Monroe County on which to build, but there are simply not enough of those left to meet the growing need.  The lack of suitable infill lots led Habitat to investigate six acres of land on the future extension of the B-line trail.

The City of Bloomington was offered the land as a park by the owner. The decision was taken to the park board, and they chose not to purchase the property. Only after the City passed on the land did Habitat evaluate the property as a potential neighborhood site. After determining it met Habitat’s site selection criteria Habitat chose to purchase the land.

How does Habitat seek to build sustainably?

Habitat seeks to build sustainably through every stage of the construction process.  From site planning to retain natural assets to building homes to meet Energy Star certification, Habitat homes are built to be modest and efficient while preserving natural surroundings.

What are the next steps?

Planning for the neighborhood is not anticipated to begin until early-2012. Construction on the land is not anticipated to begin until at least 2013. Habitat will meet with nearby neighborhood associations and invite community members to provide input about what the B-Line neighborhood will look like, what features it will have, and how to design and appropriately place the estimated 50+% of greenspace. 

We welcome your thoughts and questions. Contact us by email or by calling 812-331-4069.

 *Cited from The New York Times article ‘Soaring Poverty Casts Spotlight on ‘Lost Decade,’ on Sept. 13, 2011.