Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership

Unfortunately, I have had bad experiences with INHP. I went through the classes twice and even had my certification to meet with counselor for finally the next step towards home ownership. No one communicated with me, and then they required me to pay the fees again for the second attempt. During the pandemic, they ran my credit after I expressed do not make a hard inquiry and they did instead of soft inquiry which would not affect my credit. The counselor just did not listen. I waisted time money and resources and still did not get closer to purchasing a home.

Unfortunately, my experience precisely mirrors that of the individual who posted below.

I too had: (1) received a pre-approval, (2) deposited earnest money, (3) paid for a home inspection, (4) contracted a title company, and (5) had a closing date.

Sadly, I also had: (6) experienced inconsistent communication with the lending team, (7) difficulty having specific concerns addressed, (8) immediately complied with every request made of me but waiting in vain for responses or follow-ups to basic questions.

This all culminated in me being denied the loan on a technicality on the actual date of closing (11/10/20). The grounds for denying my loan seem a bit specious but who am I to argue against their policies and how they are applied?

What's ironic is that they only discovered this "technicality" and took this action exactly ONE DAY AFTER my realtor and I had tried to have the matter escalated to the upper brass of the organization (oops, how dare I try to expedite this matter when I've been bounced around and ignored for weeks). Mind you, up until then we could get very little direction as to the status of my loan despite constant attempts to reach them by phone or email for answers.

With all due respect to these workers, I will not question their personal motivations as I am not in their shoes and I honestly have no idea the challenges that they might face in their daily working lives. In good faith, I can only presume how the Covid19 crisis has complicated and disrupted their operations at the time my loan was to be processed (amongst countless other loan applicants as well, I assume). Nonetheless, irrespective of whether they are all wonderful people aiming to give their utmost to their job and the communities they serve, my opinion is that the service that they provide is woefully lacking in organization, clarity, and some basic professionalism. They might be pleasant and cordial on the phone (well, unless you have the honor of receiving a holier-than-thou rebuff when attempting to directly confront their inconsistencies - true story) but good luck getting straight answers that don't seem to change with each person you get passed off to.

I truly wish to see this program succeed and for them to do well as it is an honorable mission that they've undertaken. However, there needs to be some serious checks-and-balances put in place and a reassessment of whether they are actively meeting their objectives and serving the public interest. Some genuine accountability would go a long way towards improving the experiences of fellow qualified applicants who seek to utilize INHP programs because we all believe in their products and support their mission.

...BTW I kept a paper-trail (as best as I could) in case the veracity of my account is brought into question...

This organization doesn't deserve the 1star I gave. Very unprofessional, and is not willing to accept responsibility when they make an mistake. I was approved, a month later an offer was accepted for the home I wanted, the loan officer, never returns calls or emails, until he knew we had an accepted offer. I paid $800 to INHP for the inspection/appraisal, also signed the papers with the title company. Weeks before my closing, I received an email, not a phone call, saying they were no longer approving my loan. Still no response to emails! FINALLY my father knew someone there to call me, they dragged me along for another week, to only say after I had been approved, that now they are no longer approving me. I had already spent Earnest money and I almost lost that due to INHP non educated employees. They have made my home buying experience a complete disaster!!!!

As someone who works in the housing field, I am proud to be a financial supporter of INHP and its work to support housing, homeownership, and neighborhood development throughout Indianapolis. Having worked with a number of nonprofit organizations, I know INHP has one of the most capable, knowledgeable, and committed staff working in the nonprofit sector today. With a clear focus on mission and vision, INHP staff are diligent in their pursuit of supporting families in their dreams to achieve homeownership.

Through a combination of counseling, advising, and lending, INHP works with low and moderate income buyers to achieve the dream of homeownership; for many of the families with whom they work, INHP is the only responsible lending option available. INHP works with these families to strengthen their credit, engage in financial planning, and prepare them for the ups and downs of homeownership. Research from the Federal Reserve shows that families that participate in INHP programs are far less likely to experience a foreclosure than similarly situated families.

INHP's support of families, in turn, strengthens neighborhoods. This is one obvious benefit of its housing counseling/foreclosure prevention activities, but it also occurs through INHP's support of the local community development sector, its homeowner repair program, and its local lending/construction activity.

Research from Indiana University finds that INHP's activities has a considerable economic and social impact on central Indiana - both measured in the millions of dollars. Having had the opportunity to meet a handful of families that INHP has assisted in achieving homeownership, that impact is modest when compared to the emotions and gratitude expressed by those families as they achieve the dream of homeownership. Those families are a powerful testament to the impact that INHP achieves through its work. Those moments are why I’m proud to support INHP, its staff, and its mission.

Another colleague and I visited INHP in January 2016 and reviewed their homeownership services for Marion County residents. We looked intensively at their advisory and lending services, interviewed many of their staff members and did research about their accomplishments. Overall, we were very impressed with their dedicated staff, the quality of their homeownership services and the number of homeowners they have assisted.

We found INHP to be an extraordinary nonprofit organization with staff who were very committed to their mission of helping families in Marion County. Their innovative and personalized approach helps several hundred households every year.

In many ways, INHP is a national model -- a research and development lab for testing new strategies for delivering homeownership services -- through online intake systems, web-based courses, in-person workshops, individualized advice for prospective homeowners and affordable mortgage products. INHP is truly a "one-stop shop" for homeownership services and residents of Marion County should be thankful for their existence.

One of my greatest enjoyments in life is owning my own home. It is a place where I can put down roots and be part of a community. As a donor to and volunteer of INHP, I am happy to help others achieve the gift of home ownership. Supporting, guiding, and teaching others to attain and sustain home ownership is the goal of INHP's staff. They are professional, hardworking, caring, and dedicated to the clients they serve. I am proud to be affiliated with INHP.

• INHP transforms families and neighborhoods in Indianapolis by helping working people achieve and sustain homeownership.
• Critical services include homeownership education, financial advising, and home financing to purchase or improve a home.
• INHP programs support sustainable impact for families and for strong and vibrant Indianapolis neighborhoods.
• INHP’s reach and impact are leveraged through key community partnerships—the city, lenders, community development corporations, state and federal programs, and local agencies.
• Homeownership positively impacts children, families, and neighborhoods by providing a foundation that fosters long-lasting, generational transformation.
• I would encourage others to support the dream of homeownership—for Indianapolis neighbors, for stable homes, for a vibrant community.

I support INHP and am honored to serve as a Board Member for the following reasons.

INHP is an organization that is not only transforming families, but also neighborhoods and communities. Every dollar donated is used to make Indianapolis neighborhoods stronger and people’s lives better through increased homeownership, reduction in abandoned housing and other affordable housing initiatives, as well as through the development of new, strategic and innovative community development tools. INHP has helped over 33,000 Indianapolis residents and has financed more than $373 million in mortgages for low-and moderate-income families. In addition, with the help of the Lilly Endowment and other supporters, INHP has invested over $32 million in neighborhood development initiatives since 1999. Needless to say, all of this has an enormous impact on the lives of families (every single member) which in turn adds to the vitality of a neighborhood. This benefits us all as a community.

Also, of the many things INHP excels at, besides its core mission, is the ability to bring together other partner organizations to ensure a cohesive and rounded plan in the area of community development, place-making, and building strong families. INHP is a leader in this area. It has strong philanthropic support and volunteer engagement. This, along with its demonstrated track record of sustainable success and impact in helping families grow stronger and investing in neighborhoods, INHP has been and continues to be an asset to the community and is serving as a gold star example on a national scale. This speaks volumes about the organization itself but also about our philanthropic community.

When I hear from the families that are impacted by INHP's services, hear their stories and see them in turn supporting INHP to help other families, I am reassured that INHP is holding true to its mission and it makes me feel honored to be a part of it and to know that we are making a difference!

As a corporate partner invested in the Indianapolis market we support INHP and their efforts to provide low and moderate income families with the opportunities to achieve and maintain homeownership because their efforts are key to the success of our community. Over 3,500 families access INHP services annually and their impact goes beyond the families served and into the neighborhoods were families live, work and play. We invest in INHP’s programs and services because of their strong leadership, accountability and transparency. They are good fiscal agents of our philanthropic dollars and the organization is grounded in a results driven approach. We are honored to support them annually through contributions and corporate volunteerism.

Mike Newbold, Huntington National Bank, Regional President for Central Indiana

INHP is a valuable community partner in our efforts to initiate positive change in the areas of affordable housing and community development. We are proud to support their Homeownership and Successful Renting programs. The work that INHP does with low and moderate income families to help them realize their dreams of becoming and remaining successful homeowners is truly inspiring. Buckingham Foundation is proud to partner with INHP as they strengthen our Indianapolis community.

I support INHP, and I heartily encourage others to do so, as well—for Indianapolis neighbors, for stable homes, and for a vibrant community. Here's why I donate…

Having resided in Indianapolis for nearly 20 years, I feel a responsibility and commitment to ensuring the city continues to grow and prosper. Though the adage, “Give people a fish, and you feed them for a day. Teach people to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime,” may be trite, the principle behind it is of fundamental importance to me when selecting charitable organizations to support.

I donate to INHP because their path to homeownership begins with education versus immediate financial assistance. It continues with financial advising, and ultimately, with assistance in home financing. The successful completion of INHP’s program is not easy…but neither is homeownership. The brilliance of INHP’s model hinges on its ability to help working people, not only achieve homeownership, but to sustain homeownership. Sustained homeownership positively impacts children, families, and neighborhoods by providing a foundation that fosters long-lasting, generational transformation.

I am proud to serve on the board of INHP, which delivers a much-needed service to central Indiana. Additionally, my experience as a board member has been great; INHP is a well-run, forward-thinking organization, and makes board membership a worthwhile devotion of time and resources.

INHP is a trusted nonprofit in the Indianapolis community and their board and staff are working hard to impact both families and neighborhoods. I am a proud individual donor to INHP. I have been impressed with INHP's donor stewardship and their willingness to engage me as a donor. I trust that my philanthropic investment is in good hands at INHP.

I am selective about the causes to which I contribute and am proud to donate to INHP. This organization doesn't just promote homeownership; INHP works to improve neighborhoods through RESPONSIBLE homeownership. INHP educates potential homebuyers about credit, budgets, the mortgage process, and the reality of owning a home. I have had the opportunity to interact with members of the INHP staff and am impressed by their professionalism and tight focus on their mission.

INHP has a long history of helping people in the Indianapolis area. However, they have recently shifted away from the programs and services that have traditionally been provided. They receive the same or more funding each year, but have cut their programs and services to low and moderate income individuals, while creating additional overhead expenses internally. The programs and services most hurt by the cuts include education and housing counseling.

INHP advertises to the public and funding sources that it also helps provide mortgages to hundreds of individuals, but most of those loans are actually referrals to banks who then originate the loans. INHP originated just over 60 loans last year in house. That's a sad number for $6+ million dollars in expenses.

The organization has also shifted to administering funds on behalf of the City of Indianapolis and other fund sources, and uses its political power to exert control over numerous local community development corporations that depend on the funding to redevelop struggling neighborhoods, while shaving off administration fees. Those are funds that would be better served in the community.

The deterioration of the reputation of this organization is very sad, indeed. They are terribly inefficient, have lost all clout in the community development world, have lied to the public and funding sources, and are generally poor stewards of precious dollars that could be helping the people of Indianapolis.