Isaiah 117 House representatives updated the commission Oct. 9 that the local home built to provide a short-term environment for children removed from parental care is nearing completion, but external utility connections are delaying final exterior work and the certificate of occupancy.

Kimberly Hall, support coordinator for the Delaware County Isaiah 117 House, and Tamara Tims, Indiana state director for Isaiah 117 House, told commissioners they broke ground in January 2025 and that construction is approximately three to four weeks ahead of the original schedule for building work. They said interior work (painting, flooring, cabinets) is essentially complete, but the project is awaiting utility work from CenterPoint Energy and American Water, which is preventing final exterior items such as sidewalks and driveway concrete.

Tims said the organization does not open a home until it has a one-year operating budget on hand and that they were on track financially. Hall said the local giving room already serves families and that volunteers have packed bags and supplies for more than 230 children during construction. The presenters also said the Delaware County home would be the eighth Isaiah 117 House in Indiana.

Commissioners asked about a previously submitted invoice that appeared to exceed the county’s $200,000 commitment. Isaiah 117 House staff said the larger amount was a mistake; they clarified they were requesting $49,305.26 (the remaining contracted amount) rather than the earlier, higher sum. Later in the meeting, the commission approved the invoices as amended and corrected; the clerk confirmed the corrected total for the invoices on the agenda was $319,836.69.

Isaiah 117 House said that, if utilities were connected today, training and certificate-of-occupancy tasks would likely make opening feasible within a couple of months, with volunteer training and move-in following the certificate of occupancy.