Low-Moderate Income Homeowners Exemption

This material is presented for informational purposes only. Herron-Morton Place holds no liability for inaccuracies that may be contained herein. Individuals are urged to contact the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission for complete guidelines as may apply to your project.

A specific exemption clause from aspects of these design standards for low-moderate income owner-occupants and their families has been developed due to the potential financial hardship adherence to these standards may cause to those who wish to install "energy conservation" items or paint their homes. In order to see that such potential financial hardships are minimized, the following procedures for exemptions from the design standards are made.

Procedure/Qualifications

Any person at any time after the adoption of this plan can, at the time of filing for a Certificate of Appropriateness for renovation work/or an addition to an existing structure, file with the Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) or his designee, for a "Homeowners Exemption." This exemption will allow qualifying homeowners to be exempt from aspects of the design standard guidelines detailed in the next section.

To qualify for a "Homeowners Exemption," the person must be able to show:

  • Ownership of the home
  • Sufficient proof that their family income is 80% or less of the median income of Marion County as set out in Section 8 of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Standards.

A decision must be rendered to the property owner within 10 days of receipt of the application. If the property owner qualifies, he/she will be exempt from those portions of the design standards noted in the following section.

If the property owner is denied an exemption, he/she may appeal that decision to the IHPC. The IHPC would then either let the denial stand or override the decision and grant an exemption to the proerty owner.

Exemptions Available to Qualified Property Owners

If a property owner is granted a "Homeowners Exemption," he/she will be exempt from the following considerations of the design standard guidelines:

  • Painting and Paint Colors.
    It is clearly stated that the painting of a structure and the choosing of paint colors are exempt for design standard guidelines for any existing structure.
  • Storm Windows and Doors.
    The type and materials of storm windows and doors are exempt from the design standard guidelines so long as these items do not require the permanent alterations of window and/or door openings.
  • Roofing and Roof Materials.
    Roofing and roof materials are exempt from design standard guidelines providing any existing architectural ornamentation on the roof (i.e., "cresting" and gutters) is maintained.

The property owner must notify the IHPC at least twenty (20) days prior to installation of any of the above items solely for the purpose of noting that the provisions of these exemptions are met.

Reapplication

After a two-year period, the family/homeowner must reapply if they wish to pursue an exterior alteration/rehabilitation.