Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 August 1999 — Page 4

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

JPD Community Day

fte Indianapolis Police Department’s North District hosted their 7th Annual Community Day last Friday at Arsenal Park on East 46th Street. The event was held to celebrate the police-community partnership and to encourage people of all ages to get Involved with its police department and fight against crime. North District provided free food and refreshments. The Community Day was well

^tended despite the temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. (Recorder photo by Curtis Guynn)

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CRIME INDEX TOTAL RATE PER 100.000

(Includes: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) Cleveland 3154.81 Indianapolis 3179.91 Louisville 3390.03 Milwaukee ’ 3428.76 Columbus 4576.40 Nashville 5500.97 St. Louis 6876.98

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6,1999“*'

BARTON Continued from A1 lous,” Peterson said angrily. Peterson would end the Barton crisis by instituting: An immediate three-year moratorium on any discussion or activity concerning the sale of the Barton Apartments. The immediate withdrawal of the city’s application with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) asking permission to sell the Barton Apartments. Immediately working aggressively with Congresswoman Julia Carson to seek Federal funding for the Barton’s renovation. “If the city doesn’t act, I will when I become Mayor,” declared the Democratic Mayoral candidate. Congresswoman Julia Carson strongly supports keeping the Barton Apartments open. She bitterly criticized the Goldsmith Administration and the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s administration of public housing in the city. “Their actions regarding the Barton Apartments shows that the city is destroying family values,” saidCarson. “TheCity hasn’t used HUD resources available for renovating Barton. HUD has allocated millions to Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Housing Agency, but none have been used to renovate or improve Barton,” Carson stated. The 10th District Congresswoman demanded that the City and its public housing agency “Leave the Barton’s residents alone! Quit insulting their and our intelligence by asking the residents to raise the money to buy their building. If the residents had $25 million dollars they could afford to build their own new apartment building, not keep the Barton.” With his experience developing residential and commercial properties, Bart Peterson feels strongly that the Barton Apartments can be renovated. “The concrete walls are solid and fire safe. The air CdndWofflg' systein vtl£ jupt renovated ata‘&6st of $4 to 5 million dollars, 1 ’ Peterson concluded. “This is a safe comfortable place to live that’s close to services its residents need and keeping the Barton Apartments open is consistent with the Indianapolis Housing Strategy published by the Indianapolis Task Force,” Peterson added. State Representative Bill Crawford added to his sharp criticism of the Goldsmith Administration and the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s lack of a coherent strategy for increasing low-income housing opportunities in Indianapolis. “Barton is just the tip of the iceberg,” Crawford said. “In the coming weeks we will demonstrate that a crisis exists in the lack of affordable rental housing ip Indianapolis.” Eugene Jones, executive director of the Indianapolis Housing Agency, which operates the city’s 13 public housing communities, including the Barton Apartments, became visibly angry as he listened to Peterson, Carson and Crawford’s criticisms. Jones was especially critical of Carson’s intervention. “We’ve repeatedly tried to get Congresswoman Carson’s help,” decried

Jones. “But her office refuses to return our phone calls.” According to Jones, the reason" therearen’tfundsavailabletoreno- ’’ • vate the Barton Apartments is because ‘Congress hasn’t appropri--* ated more monies for public hous- 11 * ing. In fact Congress has cuO HUD’s funding 13 percent in theif> Fiscal 2001 budget (effective thisr October). We’re constantly suH fering because of HUD budget? cuts. “No application has been sub* mitted to HUD to sell the Barton Apartments,” said Jones. Butt* Aaron Haith, member of the In-? dianapolis Housing Agency Board* disputes Jones, stating that “OiW 1 board is considering the staffs* request to submit such an application this week.” % One reason Jones’ agency wants-' to move the residents out the dowmc town high rise is due to safetjjw concerns. “The building is unsafe)! for senior housing,” explaiiidT Jones. “I’m responsible for theif safety and the building is a firei hazard. Would those criticizing us be critical if there’s a fire and' deaths in the building because‘l* don’t take action?” )(>' The other reason IHA wants u> eventually close the Barton Apartl ments is because of a lack of demand for senior citizen low-in-' come senior citizen housing/ “There’s no demand for senior’ housing,” Jones said. “There’s nor enough senior citizens and handi? capped to fill the vacancies in out' existing senior communities (Indiana Avenue, Lugar Towerst Barton and Barton Annex).” (nJones stated that the state’s Housing Finance Authority agreds with him, “They admit that the market is too soft for building dr adding new affordable senior houd-) ing.” n Haith and Indianapolis NAACP President Rod Bohannon strongly refuted Jones’ contention^ Bohannon asks, “What is IHAIi role in providing affordable senior housing?” According to Bohannon, exisff ing vacancies at the Barton Apatty ments, Clearstream Village and BrOkdnburrTrai Is totals some 709 apartments. “Why isn’t IHA renor vating and renting out those units?)’ Haith disputes Jones’ contention that the Barton is a fire hazard. “The Indianapolis Fire Department has repeatedly said that the Barton Apartments are safe.” Haith also disputed Jones’ contention that demand for senior citizens housing is low. “There’s just one vacancy at Indiana Avenuq, Lugar is 92 percent full and the Barton Annex is 85 percent full. There is a demand for senior housing that the IHA is reluctant to meet.” Bart Peterson, who’s madp compassionate treatment of Indianapolis residents a central part pf his campaign for Mayor summed up the crisis of affordable downtown housing this way. “We have made great strides I improving our downtown, but thd progress can’t come at the e^ pense of elderly and disable downtown residents,” Petersc declared. “Closing Barton woulj be the fifth closing of low-incon downtown housing in three yea It would wipe out a third of 1 remaining low-income unij downtown. We owe the resident of Barton and other low-incon apartments the warm arms of con passion, not the cold boots of evil lion.”

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