Thrive West Central: $5M ARPA housing program has funded 379 units in Vigo County; $2.6M remains

Thrive West Central updated the Vigo County Board of Commissioners on the county’s Homes for the Future housing program, funded with $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Ryan Keller, CEO of Thrive West Central, told commissioners the program has awarded assistance for 379 housing units in the county and has about $2.6 million of the $5 million still uncommitted.

Keller said the program has committed roughly $1 million for pre–site development on special projects intended to spur subdivision development in unincorporated areas, where extending water and sewer utilities raises costs and risk for developers. “We are really pleased with the progress that we're making on the homes for the future program for Vigo County,” Keller said.

The speaker outlined geographic distribution and market focus: 285 units awarded within the city limits and 94 in unincorporated parts of the county. Projects funded through the program must be completed by Sept. 30, 2026, and all funds must be expended by the end of 2026, Keller said. He told commissioners several private builders are preparing additional project applications and that staff expect most of the remaining $2.6 million to be earmarked by July or early August of this year.

Keller described a conservative estimate of the program’s captured market value and the expected long-term tax-base benefits from the ARPA investment. He said the county has seen substantial private investment tied to the program and that the funding aims to de-risk infrastructure costs to encourage private-sector housing development.

Commissioners asked about utility expansion and catalyst sites; Keller said the county is pursuing land near the airport corridor for potential catalyst development because the utility extensions there would be shorter. The presentation noted that many award packages are initial phases of larger developments (for example, a 40-unit award is part of a planned 102-unit development), so future phases may increase the program’s overall housing impact.

What commissioners heard from Thrive West Central: - Total units awarded with county assistance: 379 (285 city / 94 county). - Uncommitted ARPA funds for county projects: about $2,600,000. - Pre-site development commitment: about $1,000,000 for infrastructure to support county subdivisions. - Project completion requirement: projects must be finished by Sept. 30, 2026 (funds expended by year-end 2026).

Keller and staff said they will return with periodic updates; commissioners requested quarterly briefings and asked for visual materials at the next meeting so the board and public can see the program’s distribution and price-range breakdowns.