After 2 shootings and a fire, IHA leader says 'we're doing what we can'

By Tyler Fenwick

The Indianapolis Housing Agency’s leader says the agency is trying to address safety concerns after shootings, a fire and complaints about squatters.

“We have been just trying to assure the residents that we’re doing what we can,” IHA CEO Yvonda Bean told Mirror Indy following a board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13.

In the first few days of the year, there were shootings at two IHA properties: Hawthorne Place and Lugar Tower. There was also a fire at Laurelwood Apartments, and residents of Georgetown Apartments said squatters are overtaking their property.

Bean said the agency is working on a partnership with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
 

An IMPD spokesperson said in a statement that the department has met with IHA to discuss safety for residents.

“IMPD remains committed to proactive patrols throughout Indianapolis, including properties managed by the Indianapolis Housing Agency,” the statement said, in part.

For some residents, IHA soon will no longer be in charge of where they live. The housing agency’s board approved a sale of seven properties — including Hawthorne Place and Laurelwood Apartments — during the board meeting.

Still, safety has been a persistent complaint for many residents.
 

At Lugar Tower, residents have sued the housing agency over security concerns. A lawyer representing the residents said security appears to be completely gone from the property, where residents have also complained of squatters moving into empty units.

Mirror Indy visited Georgetown Apartments and Hawthorne Place to talk to residents about their experiences.

Residents who spoke to Mirror Indy declined to share their full names but said they fear for their safety and the wellbeing of family members living at the apartments.

Residents there voiced another common complaint about the housing agency: They feel ignored by IHA.
 

Open letter to Hogsett: ‘You have remained silent’

Some housing advocates are trying to pressure Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration into playing a larger role in protecting residents.

Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, executive director of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, and the Rev. David W. Greene Sr., president of the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, wrote an open letter to Hogsett.

In it, they referenced the most recent incidents that have left residents feeling unsafe.

“Through all this, you have remained silent,” they wrote.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told Mirror Indy that isn’t true.

“Mayor Hogsett has not stayed silent on this issue,” the spokesperson said in a statement, in part.
 

Instead, the spokesperson said Hogsett has been “working behind the scenes” as part of a 2024 agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to take over the struggling agency.

The spokesperson also said the city has given IHA about $7 million since 2016 and helped the agency recover from cyberattacks that damaged its phone and computer systems.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social.