Indianapolis City-County Council Advances 'HOME Plan' and Unveils Permit-Ready Pre-Reviewed Housing Designs

City-County Council Champions Comprehensive 'HOME Plan' for Marion County

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Spearheading a systemic municipal strategy to expand attainable housing supply and modernize civic oversight, the Indianapolis City-County Council advanced legislative hearings in late September 2026 on the ambitious 'HOME Plan'. Championed by Council President Vop Osili, the strategy addresses housing shortages across Marion County through dedicated funding, tenant support, and structural governance reform.

A cornerstone of the plan involves reorganizing the Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA) to place it under direct executive oversight from the Mayor's Office. Housing advocates underscored that direct mayoral accountability eliminates administrative bottlenecks, accelerates the distribution of federal Housing Choice Vouchers, and ensures city agencies work collaboratively with local non-profit housing developers.

Permit-Ready Architectural Catalog Accelerates Missing-Middle Construction

Complementing legislative initiatives, the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) officially debuted a comprehensive pre-reviewed housing catalog engineered by renowned urban firm Opticos Design. The initiative offers free, permit-ready construction blueprints for missing-middle housing typologies, including duplexes, triplexes, cottage courts, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

By eliminating thousands of dollars in architectural design costs and reducing municipal plan review timelines from months to just days, the program enables local homeowners, non-profit builders, and neighborhood developers to construct high-quality, energy-efficient infill housing on vacant parcels across Indianapolis neighborhoods.

IndyGo Blue Line BRT and Infrastructure Modernization

On public infrastructure, the council's Municipal Corporations Committee reviewed capital financing plans supporting IndyGo's 24-mile Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor along Washington Street. Linking Cumberland to the Indianapolis International Airport via downtown, the rapid bus line integrates dedicated lanes and pedestrian crosswalk upgrades, ensuring reliable public transit for thousands of daily healthcare, logistics, and service workers.