Crawford Apartments supportive housing reaching 'critical action point'—one-third of units in 2 buildings noncompliant

At least 22 Bloomington residents who could be living in permanent supportive housing are staying on the street or in shelters, because 22 damaged units at Crawford Apartments on Henderson Street are now vacant, not in a condition to be occupied.

The situation is not completely new, according to Anna Killion-Hanson, who is the city of Bloomington's Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) director, a job she started in at the start of 2024, when new Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson was sworn into office.

About the situation at Crawford, Killion-Hanson wrote that since the time she assumed the role of HAND director, "[W]e've been actively working toward resolution during that time."

Permanent supportive housing combines affordable housing with on-site services for people who are facing chronic homelessness.

Crawford Apartments includes 60 units, divided between two buildings, which were built a few years apart. The first building, with 25 units, opened in 2013. The second building (Crawford II), was opened four years later. The name "Crawford" comes from Franklin Crawford, who was a Bloomington man experiencing chronic homelessness, and died next to the dumpster of the old Ponderosa restaurant, now a post office, south of Seminary Square Park.

What has Killion-Hanson currently focused on Crawford Apartments is an attempt to get the rental permit renewed for the complex. The renewal process means a comprehensive inspection of the property with compliance requirements. Killion-Hanson wrote that even though the owner of the building has made efforts towards compliance, "[O]ngoing tenant-related violations and repeated damage have made sustained compliance very difficult."

Responding to the question of how long Crawford can continue without completing its rental permit renewal process, Killion-Hanson wrote: "We are reaching a critical action point."

Responding to a B Square question about the possibility that HAND would resort to a revocation of the occupancy permit for one or both Crawford buildings, Killion-Hanson wrote: "The City's priority is protecting public health and safety, not displacing residents. Our goal is always to ensure safe, sanitary, and decent housing—any action taken will reflect that commitment."

The ownership of the real estate has changed since the apartments were first constructed, with the help of low-income housing tax credits and funds from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a federal funding source administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Two key names in connection with the question of who is responsible for the physical property are Continental and Cinnaire.

Keith Broadnax, who is vice president for business development with Cinnaire, responded to an emailed B Square question by reviewing the property's history with Life Designs, which was the original owner: "...Life Designs decided that they did not want to be the general partner or owner, so reached out to us to see if they could exit which is a difficult process." Broadnax added, "We do not like stepping into the general partner role, but in some instances have had to do that with struggling developments."

About Crawford Apartments, Broadnax wrote, "We know that the properties are struggling." Broadnax continued, "We're trying to work with everyone to fix these properties and save the housing." But Broadnax wrote that Cinnaire, in its role as a limited partner, is not involved in day-to-day operations. Broadnax added, "We are going to work to be part of the solution with these developments and the residents in them."

Another key player in the ownership and property management puzzle is Continental Management. The B Square was not able to reach anyone at Continental who could speak about the Crawford question.

Continental is the property manager. But in a permanent supportive housing facility, the "supportive" part of the phrase comes from onsite social services that are provided. At Crawford Apartments, it's the role of Beacon, Inc. to provide onsite services. So a key question that Killion-Hanson asks is: "[H]ow many staff from Beacon or Continental are present and what hours are they working?"

Beacon executive director Forrest Gilmore told The B Square that Beacon has a staff of 10 for its Crawford Homes program—a program director, a team lead, and eight caseworkers. But that doesn't reflect the number of Beacon staff who are working onsite at Crawford Apartments.

That's because Crawford Homes is the label for a Beacon program, which doesn't mean just the apartment complex. Gilmore told The B Square that the difference is somewhat of a "branding" problem. While Crawford Apartments is included in Beacon's Crawford Homes program, the program also encompasses many other scattered-site permanent supportive housing apartments throughout the community.

Gilmore described the kind of services that Beacon case workers provide as connecting residents with whatever health resources the residents think they need to keep them housed and stable—whether it's mental health or other medical services, or help with employment.

Gilmore sees the critical missing element at Crawford as security—specifically in the form of controlled access to the housing units with a staffed front desk. The Crawford buildings are locked, accessible only to residents, but it's oftentimes associates of residents who wind up damaging the property. Gilmore told The B Square that the planned new Beacon Center, to be located on West 3rd Street, which will have 20 units of permanent supportive housing, includes front desk controlled access as a part of its design.

A plan produced last year by Heading Home of South Central Indiana identifies security at permanent supportive housing facilities in Bloomington as an "immediate priority." The 2024 Heading Home Housing Action Plan lists out several permanent housing facilities as needing 24/7 security personnel. In the action plan, it's the first recommendation under security improvements:

1. Provide 24/7 security at Crawford Apartments, Crawford II Apartments, Kinser Flats, Middle Way House's The Rise (when it transitions to PSH), the future Beacon Center, the future Bloomington Housing Authority/Centerstone Kohr Building.

It's not clear how 24/7 security staffing would be paid for. A recent $7.3-million award from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) does not include money earmarked for remodeling or repair of existing permanent supportive housing units, or for security personnel. The Lilly Endowment grant includes, among other things, 10 caseworkers over five years, to be embedded in the community, as well as an income supplement program to support housing stability.

Killion-Hanson wrote to The B Square that she had committed a "small amount" of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money for security and rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing units. But she added that the amount would not cover the "extensive damages at Crawford." She also wrote that hiring unarmed security guards would not be a long-term solution, and the small amount available would in any event cover security only for a short period.

Gilmore told The B Square that before the end of the month, there's supposed to be a meeting among all the key players, which would include Beacon, Continental, HAND, and unspecified others. Gilmore said, "I'm just hoping that everybody comes to this on the same team, and we all work together to solve the problem—very vulnerable people who deserve a solution."

[Note: The reporter is the spouse of Mary Morgan, who is director of Heading Home of South Central Indiana, which produced a report cited in this article.]