Floyd County needs 2,800 new homes built by 2029 just to keep pace with growth, and the zoning rules standing in the way haven't been touched since 2006. That gap pushed county officials to hold a meeting this week aimed at exploring ways to boost housing affordability and availability, with smaller homes and multifamily developments like triplexes and quadplexes among the options on the table.
The urgency traces back to projections from the Indiana Association of Realtors, which has flagged housing as a statewide concern, according to WLKY. That data shows Floyd County is projected to add more than 2,500 new households by 2029, a pace that would require building roughly 2,800 new homes to keep up. Neighboring Clark County faces an even steeper climb, needing 4,900 new homes to accommodate 4,700 new homeowners over the same stretch, per the same report.
Outdated Zoning Meets Growing Demand
Nick Creevy, Floyd County's chief operating officer and plan commission director, pointed to the county's aging rulebook as a core obstacle. He said outdated zoning regulations are a barrier for developers trying to build the kinds of housing the market now needs, and noted the county's zoning ordinance was last updated back in 2006 — two decades before this week's meeting even took place.
Creevy also said infrastructure remains a significant challenge, a complication rooted in how the county's utilities are structured. Floyd County does not own any sewer systems, instead relying on municipal and private providers to serve new development, meaning growth decisions often hinge on capacity controlled by outside entities rather than the county itself.
Smaller Homes And Multifamily Units On The Table
Among the options being considered are smaller homes and multifamily housing, formats that one local developer argued could offer real solutions for the county. That developer told WLKY they had just built their first set of triplexes and quadplexes this year, adding that the housing type has become “topic number one” in nearby Jeffersonville.
Jeffersonville's own multifamily push offers a glimpse of what that demand looks like in practice. The District, a multifamily development in the city, was nearing completion earlier this year, according to the Louisville Business First, and GreenTree Real Estate Services said the project marked its second multifamily development in Jeffersonville.
County Wants Resident Input As Ordinance Update Looms
Creevy said the county wants input from residents on the issues they're facing and the kind of development they want to see, as officials work through the process of updating the development ordinance. Floyd County expects to finalize that update within the next year or two, a timeline the county itself has set as it reworks rules that predate the current housing crunch.
The pressure isn't unique to Floyd County. Fort Wayne's Plan Commission recently met to discuss how to increase affordable housing, weighing a Phase 3 Options Zoning Ordinance that would create a mixed residential district allowing townhouses alongside single-family homes, according to 21Alive. That city's Planning Services department plans to bring the proposal to City Council for review in January.
Floyd County's own housing tensions aren't new. Back in 2020, at least five proposed or underway subdivisions along State Road 64 threatened to add nearly 900 housing units within a two-mile stretch, raising alarms documented by Louisville Public Media. At the time, the local school superintendent said Georgetown Elementary was already running at 109% capacity, underscoring how fast growth can outstrip infrastructure built for a smaller county.
