Creating Affordable Homes and Restoring Neighborhood Opportunity
The HEROES Project is Synergetic Heroes Foundation’s principal affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization initiative in Gary and Northwest Indiana.
Through this initiative, SHF is advancing energy-efficient rental housing, preparing future affordable homeownership opportunities, coordinating development-ready home designs, and working to transform vacant or distressed properties into places of dignity, stability, and lasting community value.
What Is The HEROES Project?
The HEROES Project is a coordinated housing-development platform designed to create affordable rental and homeownership opportunities while supporting block-level neighborhood renewal.
The initiative brings together nonprofit stewardship, property control, architectural design, structural insulated panel construction, energy-performance planning, construction coordination, public funding compliance, and partnerships that can help move homes from concept through completion.
It is not limited to one house or one parcel. The HEROES Project is SHF’s long-term framework for producing quality affordable homes and rebuilding confidence in underserved neighborhoods.
Active Housing and Predevelopment Work
SHF has progressed beyond general planning and is actively coordinating funded rental development, future homebuyer applications, construction documents, energy-efficiency requirements, and neighborhood project pipelines.
HOME-ARP Affordable Rental Housing
SHF has received Lake County HOME-ARP support for the development of an energy-efficient Arise 2-Story affordable rental home. Preconstruction coordination includes architectural, site, engineering, SIP, energy, permitting, and construction planning.
Affordable Homeownership Initiative
SHF is preparing future IHCDA HOME Homebuyer applications using multiple Charles Vincent Homes designs. Funding has not yet been awarded, and each proposed development remains subject to application review, underwriting, environmental review, and program approval.
Gary Neighborhood Revitalization
SHF is organizing housing opportunities on SHF-controlled and development-ready parcels, with emphasis on targeted revitalization areas in Gary that can benefit from new homes, restored blocks, and sustained public and private investment.
HERS and High-Performance Coordination
Home plans and material selections are being coordinated for preliminary HERS review, efficient HVAC and ERV systems, durable assemblies, and reduced long-term utility burdens for residents.
Charles Vincent Homes Designs
The project uses professionally developed residential designs—including the Arise, Morning Glory, Heavenly Peace, and Joyful Blessings series—to support varied household needs and neighborhood conditions.
Public Funding Readiness
SHF is incorporating applicable affordability, procurement, environmental, construction, energy, accessibility, and Build America, Buy America planning into its project-development process.
Affordable Rental Housing and Homeownership
The HEROES Project is designed to respond to households at different stages of housing stability through distinct rental and homebuyer development pathways.
Affordable Rental Housing
SHF’s rental pathway is intended to provide safe, dignified, energy-efficient housing for eligible households under the requirements of the applicable funding program.
- HOME-ARP-supported Arise 2-Story development
- All-electric high-performance design approach
- Long-term affordability and compliance obligations
- Eligibility and occupancy determined under program rules
Affordable Homeownership
SHF is preparing a future homebuyer development pipeline that may combine new construction with approved buyer assistance and housing-readiness partnerships.
- New energy-efficient homes for income-qualified buyers
- Multiple home designs for varied household needs
- Potential coordination with education, credit, and mortgage-readiness partners
- All assistance remains subject to funding and program approval
Who The Project Is Intended to Serve
The HEROES Project is designed to create public benefit for people and neighborhoods facing housing instability, affordability pressures, vacancy, blight, and long-term disinvestment.
Veterans and Vulnerable Households
SHF seeks to advance dignified housing opportunities that can support renewed stability, independence, and long-term wellbeing for veterans and other eligible households.
Low-Income Families
The project is intended to help income-qualified families access safe, efficient, and welcoming homes under applicable rental or homebuyer program requirements.
Underserved Neighborhoods
New housing investment can return vacant land to productive use, strengthen residential blocks, improve neighborhood confidence, and support broader revitalization.
Homes Designed for Dignity, Durability, and Efficiency
SHF believes affordable housing should provide more than basic shelter. The homes developed through the HEROES Project are intended to combine attractive residential design with durable materials, efficient building systems, and long-term neighborhood compatibility.
Structural insulated panel construction supports a tight, well-insulated building envelope. Coordinated HVAC and energy-recovery ventilation systems, HERS-related planning, and thoughtful material selections are being used to support comfort, indoor air quality, energy performance, and reduced operating costs.
- Structural insulated panel construction
- Energy-efficient HVAC and ventilation planning
- Durable, low-maintenance material selections
- Professional residential designs suited to narrow urban lots
- Quality and appearance intended to strengthen neighborhood value
How a HEROES Project Home Moves Forward
Affordable housing development requires coordinated steps, documentation, approvals, and funding. SHF organizes each project through a disciplined process intended to protect public investment and improve construction readiness.
Confirm ownership, survey needs, zoning, utilities, and site conditions.
Coordinate architectural, site, engineering, SIP, HVAC, and energy documents.
Complete application, underwriting, environmental, procurement, and compliance requirements.
Permit, build, inspect, complete, and place the home into its approved affordable-housing use.
Responsible Communication
The HEROES Project includes both funded activity and proposed future developments. SHF will not represent a proposed project as awarded or guarantee housing assistance, buyer approval, rental eligibility, construction dates, or occupancy before all applicable funding, underwriting, environmental, eligibility, permitting, and program requirements are satisfied.
Help Move Affordable Housing Forward
SHF welcomes communication from banks, foundations, public agencies, housing counselors, community organizations, contractors, suppliers, energy professionals, employers, churches, and other mission-aligned partners.
Partnership support may include grants, charitable contributions, construction resources, technical assistance, homebuyer-readiness services, neighborhood engagement, or other project-specific collaboration.
Help Build Affordable Homes and Restore Neighborhood Hope
The HEROES Project is turning SHF’s mission into a practical development pipeline for energy-efficient housing, long-term affordability, and neighborhood renewal in Gary and Northwest Indiana.
Your support can help advance predevelopment, professional services, site preparation, construction readiness, housing development, and community engagement.