Yvonda Bean addressed a roomful of reporters May 12 to lay out her vision for turning around the struggling Indianapolis Housing Agency.
That vision includes an overhaul of operations, personnel and property, a process that Bean said started when she took over as CEO in February and will continue in the coming months.
“We did not get here overnight … We got here over time,” Bean said. “It is in our past. We cannot do anything about what has happened, but what we can do is control what happens going forward.”
The announcement comes 12 weeks after Bean’s arrival in Indianapolis and more than a year after federal officials took control of the agency in April 2024.
A Mirror Indy investigation last year found that IHA had struggled for more than two decades to properly administer its housing choice voucher program — commonly called Section 8 — which pays private landlords to house low-income tenants.
Section 8 tenants already have a hard time finding landlords who will accept rent vouchers. And housing advocates worry IHA’s struggles will keep new landlords from participating in the Section 8 program. In the most severe cases, some tenants became homeless as a result of IHA’s actions.
Get the backstory
Bean said she was “dissuaded” by some — she wouldn’t say who — from going public with her 12-month plan because of the pressure it could bring to meet her goals for IHA. But Bean said that’s exactly why she wanted to tell the public what she wants the next year to look like.
This isn’t the first time Bean has taken on a troubled housing agency. She’s been credited with the recovery of the Lafayette, Louisiana housing authority, which spent five years under federal control. She went on to lead a South Carolina housing authority months after a gas leak killed two tenants and displaced 400 others.
“I think that we should be transparent,” Bean said. “I think that we should be forthcoming in the challenges that this organization has.”
Rebuilding relationships with residents
Moving forward, Bean said the agency would work to make itself more accessible to residents. That includes launching a new website and expanding hours of operation to accommodate residents who cannot come to the office during business hours.
Having functional, up-to-date technology has been a particular challenge.
Bean said IHA now has working phones for the first time in two years. The agency also experienced two data breaches in the last few years and will install software to protect against cyber attacks in the future.
The agency also plans to host meetings at IHA properties so residents have an opportunity to bring their concerns directly to agency officials.
“Our residents are at the core of what we do, it’s why we all are here. It’s why all of us have jobs, because of them,” she said.
Security at IHA properties has also been a common complaint from residents. So Bean said the agency is partnering with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to beef up security. It’s also developing an emergency preparedness plan for properties.
“We recognize that we have some mending to do, that we have some broken relationships due to some of the challenges that we face internally, and so we will be on an intentional journey to rebuild those relationships,” Bean said.
Rabbi Aaron Spiegel, a housing advocate working as the executive director of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance, is skeptical that the necessary change can happen within Bean’s first year.
IHA “has systemically failed the community for more than a few years,” he said. “The reality is this is not a new problem, and I think it’s going to take years if not decades to repair.”
But IHA won’t be alone in its efforts.
The Hogsett administration has been helping the agency, mostly with technology support. And Aryn Schounce, the city’s liaison to IHA, said that will continue as the agency gets back on its feet. Aside from technical support, Schounce said the city is making sure Bean understands residents’ concerns.
“She’s really approaching it with a sense of urgency and a sense of authentic care about the residents that IHA serves,” Schounce said.
Working with landlords and other partners
Bean also said IHA will restore its relationships with landlords and community partners. Since at least its latest data breach in early 2024, landlords have reported not being paid by IHA or being paid incorrect amounts. The lapse has strained the relationships with IHA, which relies on landlords’ voluntary participation to house tenants.
The breakdown ultimately hurts renters, whose housing stability depends on IHA keeping landlords satisfied. In one case, multiple people became homeless last year after their new landlord evicted them. The landlord told Mirror Indy that IHA was behind on rent and its program was “not functional.”
Bean, however, said the agency has already made progress reconciling payments to landlords since she started earlier this year.
IHA will also work to increase the number of families that are being housed through its programs, Bean said, including vouchers targeting homeless residents. Federal reviews of the agency have previously found that IHA had not always housed as many families as it had funding for.
The agency is in the process of updating the plans that govern the Section 8 and public housing programs. Bean said those changes should be completed by the end of the year.
An internal overhaul
Bean said IHA will also turn its focus inward to evaluate staffing levels and provide training.
“You can’t expect people to do jobs when they have not been properly equipped with the tools in order to do those jobs effectively,” Bean said.
Bean also wants to reduce what she called wasteful spending and said she has cut about $20,000 in spending during her first three months on the job.
Bean admitted it’s difficult right now to provide a clear annual budget for IHA and that the agency is working to create a balanced budget.
Improve or sell properties
Over the coming months, IHA will assess what kinds of improvements need to be made at its public housing properties. It will also develop a 10-year plan outlining how IHA will invest in and improve its properties, Bean said.
In April, the agency published a request for proposals in order to sell its stake in several affordable housing properties throughout the city. Those properties are: Laurelwood Apartments, Rowney Terrace, Twin Hills, Blackburn Terrace, Beechwood Gardens, Hawthorne Place and 16 Park.
Bean did not elaborate on why she wanted to sell the properties, but said the sales were part of a “repositioning strategy” for Insight Development, IHA’s nonprofit development arm.
A condition of buying those properties includes a requirement to keep them affordable, Bean said.
“The families will continue to remain housed,” she said. “That’s a stipulation of the sale.”
Federal uncertainty
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump’s administration released a so-called “skinny” federal budget that featured a nearly $27 billion cut to federal housing programs, including Section 8.
While IHA is a local agency, its rules and funding come from the federal government.
Asked whether she anticipated those cuts affecting her work at IHA, Bean said agency officials are having conversations about cuts while waiting for the process to play out.
“It’s usually unlikely that the initial budget is what will be released and approved by Congress,” she said. “We are, however, planning internally and beginning those conversations around potential budget cuts.”
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Emily Hopkins is a Mirror Indy reporter focused on data and accountability. You can reach them on phone or Signal at 317-790-5268 or by email at emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis or on Bluesky @emilyhopkins.bsky.social.
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.
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