Indiana’s 21,000 REALTORS® support Hoosiers on their homeownership journey from our largest cities to the rural communities that more than a million of our neighbors call home. Housing supply is a statewide challenge, but rural Indiana has seen residential inventory drop 20% since 2018 while adding new housing units at less than half the statewide pace.

But small towns are thinking big about the future: The majority of Indiana’s rural counties have improved net migration since 2019, reflecting a national trend: The National Association of REALTORS® reports that nearly half (48%) of all homes purchased in 2022 were in small towns and rural areas – an all-time high in homebuying share. The rural economy is also benefiting from new manufacturing investments, agricultural and energy innovation. But housing has to keep up, and homeownership is vital to reinvesting in and revitalizing rural Indiana.

Who should attend the Indiana Rural Housing Summit?

REALTORS®, residential developers and construction professionals, employers and economic developers, state and local officials – anyone eager to learn more about programs and resources for housing and homeownership and advocate for stronger rural communities.

Registration is $49 and includes:

Reception on Monday, June 5 @ 6pm ET
Full day summit on Tuesday, June 6, – including coffee, lunch, + snacks
Valet parking

Overnight Accommodations:

We have reserved a discounted block of rooms at our host hotel, the French Lick Springs Hotel (8670 W. State Rd. 56, French Lick, IN 47432). Rooms with one and two beds are available for $159 per night plus tax.

Book Hotel Room
Deadline to book a discounted room is April 28, 2023

Here’s a look at what we have planned:

Monday, June 5 – 6pm ET

Reception, French Lick Resort

Tuesday, June 6 – 8 am ET

Registration and Exhibits
Welcome: Challenges & Opportunities in Rural Housing
Morning Keynote Presentation
Attainable Homeownership Programs
Rebuilding Rural Housing Capacity
Governmental capacity building for rural housing; communities building support, importance of programs to create the vision and fit into a broader strategy
Legislative Wrap-Up Panel + Lunch

The Summit’s afternoon sessions focus on digital infrastructure, climate challenges and human capital as forces shaping rural housing markets:

Bridging Rural Broadband Divides
Outline resources for broadband expansion
Water, Wetlands & Flooding
Bringing awareness to resources when building
Aligning Talent, Housing and Economic Development
Strong communities attract talent, how do we do that?
WRAP UP

Contact us:

General Questions: Kathleen Bender
Sponsorship Opportunities/Questions: Kathleen Bender
Hotel Questions (other than booking a room): Brian Ward

Fact Sheet: Indiana’s Rural Housing Challenges

Limited housing supply is Indiana’s major barrier to homeownership and a significant hurdle to economic and community development across the state. Rural housing markets face unique challenges that demand focused discussion, collaboration and specific solutions.

With 21,000 members working across all 92 counties as advocates for homeownership, economic development and quality of life, Indiana’s REALTORS® are hosting the inaugural Rural Housing Summit on behalf of the one million Hoosiers who live in rural Indiana.

Housing inventory is a continued challenge across Indiana:

The monthly average listings of homes for sale statewide in 2022 (10,050) was 40% below 2019 (17,670) and has declined 80% since 2010 (50,000+).
Indiana has gained 400,000 private sector jobs and 300,000 residents living in more than 160,000 new households since 2010 but added less than 150,000 new housing units in the same period.
Today, Indiana faces an estimated gap of 30,000 housing units, according to a new study of housing programs and funding opportunities by Fourth Economy Consulting for the Indiana Association of REALTORS®.

Housing capacity in rural Indiana is limited:

Seven counties lost housing units from 2010-2020 – six are classified as rural.
42 counties added housing units at a rate less than 2% (statewide growth was 4.6%) from 2010-2020 – two-thirds of them (27) are rural.
In rural counties, nearly one in four housing units was constructed before World War II, and population decline has left a legacy of aging housing stock with higher vacancy rates depressing local markets (Hicks/Faulk 2022).
Inflation has increased the cost of home construction, making it especially difficult for rural development to occur profitably with less density and demand at affordable price levels.
Inflation hasn’t just impacted homebuyers – the average costs of new roads, bridges, wastewater systems and other infrastructure materials has risen 40% on average since 2020; rural units have less fiscal capacity to bear the related cost of new development.
Digital infrastructure is also a challenge: Reliable access to broadband is a persistent problem across many rural areas, impacting current residents and discouraging new growth as internet service has risen as a homebuyer priority.

Indiana’s rural housing crisis could diminish promising community growth trends:

The majority of Indiana’s rural counties have seen improved net migration since 2019 – a variety of factors causing new residents to seek out a smaller town lifestyle.
Indiana’s READI grant program has also given rural areas the incentive to collaborate regionally and make new investments in quality of life and talent attraction plans.
If housing capacity doesn’t keep up, growth potential won’t be realized in rural Indiana.