Federal and local officials jointly addressing housing conditions and operational failures impacting Indianapolis residents.
Today, HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard J. Monocchio and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett signed a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City to jointly take action to restore public confidence in and accountability over the Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA). This action will not impact IHA residents’ access to their housing or vouchers and is being done with the sole purpose of enhancing their quality of life.
The announcement follows HUD and the City’s commitment in September 2023 to pursue a collaborative approach to address IHA’s numerous operational, administrative, and financial failures that have had a detrimental impact on Indianapolis residents.
“Seeing the conditions and dysfunction that have negatively impacted IHA residents, and numerous operational issues hindering the agency, HUD knew it had to take strong action to correct course as soon as possible,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing, Richard J. Monocchio. “But our efforts will be even stronger in partnership with the City and Mayor Hogsett. We have a lot of work ahead, but we intend to deliver change for residents living in IHA communities that have already waited too long.”
The first action taken by HUD today was replacing the IHA Board with Kimberly Wize, who is HUD’s Indiana Field Office Director. The City of Indianapolis will soon appoint a local Recovery Monitor. Interim IHA Chief Executive Officer Greg Stocking will remain at the agency to assist with the turnaround efforts. While all parties will work together, HUD retains ultimate authority over IHA’s recovery.
“This one-of-a-kind partnership between the City of Indianapolis and HUD acknowledges that a safe, stable, and habitable home is at the core of overall health and wellbeing,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Today’s partnership ensures that IHA – a fundamental resource in providing housing to Indianapolis’ most vulnerable neighbors – will be fully functional, transparent, and accountable.”
Unlike other receiverships undertaken by HUD, the partnership between the City and federal government in this possession signals the joint commitment to addressing the issues facing IHA residents and restoring confidence in the agency’s operations. To establish a path forward, HUD will work with the City to develop a detailed strategy to stabilize the housing agency’s operations and rectify specific issues identified by HUD. The CEA signed today outlines HUD and the City’s respective roles and responsibilities.
IHA and its subsidiaries are currently responsible for managing and administering rental assistance for over 20,000 low-income individuals. A list of the properties managed by IHA can be found here.
“Housing is a human right,” said Congressman André Carson. “IHA serves more than 20,000 of our neighbors, and this partnership will only further strengthen our ability to provide safe, affordable, and livable housing for years to come. I’ve long supported rental assistance, rehabilitating public housing, and more efforts to ensure Indianapolis’ housing needs are met. This partnership is a logical, innovative next step to repair an agency that so many rely on every day.”
HUD and the City will be in frequent communication with IHA residents and will be as accessible as possible to guide them through upcoming changes to the agency. Residents’ rental assistance and housing will continue, and residents should see improvements to housing, programs, and services over the coming months.
To inform recovery efforts, IHA, under HUD’s oversight and in partnership with the City, will soon issue a request for proposals for a management assessment and forensic audit of the agency. This next phase for IHA is critical to ensuring the individuals and families served by IHA receive the highest level of service and care.
This proactive intervention over IHA aligns with HUD’s mission to ensure access to safe, affordable housing and to promote sustainable communities. By intervening and joining forces with the City, HUD aims to improve the quality of housing and enhance the overall well-being of HUD-assisted residents.