FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City of Fort Wayne says that the third phase of the ‘a LOT to LOVE’ program is now open to developers wanting to build new housing on City of Fort Wayne-owned vacant lots.
The program offers developers access to:
1) discounted City-owned lots
2) site condition grants that provide financial support for unexpected costs such as unsuitable soil conditions
3) the HOME Housing Catalog, which provides free or low-cost pre-approved architectural housing blueprints. Additional incentives may be available for small-scale builders to help address financial barriers to development.
Applications are available online here
The City released the following:
“The a LOT to LOVE program is one way we are addressing our housing crisis,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “This innovative effort helps revitalize urban neighborhoods and offers homebuyers great options at competitive prices.”
A total of 37 project sites are available, and developers may be awarded as many as three sites to build housing, including single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses. Preference will be given to developers who have a demonstrated commitment to the community, experience in construction or real estate, and participated in the SEED Small-Scale Developer BUILD Program, which is supported in part by the Don Wood Foundation. Development incentives, supported by the Fort Wayne New Markets Revitalization Fund, are available to some small-scale developers to help address financial barriers such as site preparation and infrastructure redevelopment.
Since a LOT to LOVE was launched in March 2025, Community Development has committed 25 vacant lots to development partners. To date, 20 homes have been built or are underway (a duplex is counted as two homes). The goals of the program include: encourage development of housing affordable to a range of income levels, positively impact neighborhood aesthetics and safety, support the growth of small builders, and increase neighborhood-focused economic activity.
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