INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Flanner House is well known in the Circle City for its goal of supporting and advocating for community members who need a hand-up. That mission started 125 years ago as many enslaved black people migrated North from Southern states.

In the 1940s, the nonprofit started building what would be known as Flanner Homes. The project created a lot of opportunities for low-income African-American families. During this time period, many black soldiers were unable to cash in on the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. Flanner Homes allowed families to build houses, and receive sweat equity, and low-income loans for the work. 

Many of the Flanner House Homes still stand today while the concept of “sweat equity” has been adopted by other organizations like ‘Habitat for Humanity’.  

For more information on the history of Flanner House and Flanner House Homes, click here.