Tony Bright has to dodge candy wrappers and dried vomit as he walks down the stairs at Lugar Tower.
And that’s not even the worst of it. Bright, who’s lived there for about five years, said it’s also common to hear fights in the hallways and see people passed out on the floor. He can only guess if they’re dead or drunk.
“I’m just over the BS,” Bright, 54, told Mirror Indy.
He and another resident, Sandra Barnes, are suing the Indianapolis Housing Agency, which operates the subsidized housing complex at 901 Fort Wayne Ave. Built in 1974, the apartments are for seniors and people with disabilities.
The residents’ top concern: IHA wants to do away with 24-hour security at the apartments. Residents said that would be an even greater threat to their health and safety than what already exists. They also said the elevators often don’t work, forcing residents to take the stairs in the 17-story building.
For Barnes, 63, this is her third time suing IHA. She and other residents sued the agency twice in 2023 over similar issues. Those lawsuits ended after residents got 24-hour security.
In a court filing, attorneys for IHA said Barnes is now taking a “proverbial third bite at the apple.”
Barnes said she keeps coming back to court because Lugar Tower is her home.
“We don’t have to live like this,” she told Mirror Indy.
IHA’s CEO, Yvonda Bean, said in court documents that the agency doesn’t have enough money to hire full-time security. And if the court makes the agency provide full-time security, Bean said IHA would be forced to close Lugar Tower.
Other complicating factors keep showing up for Barnes and Bright.
IHA has argued it isn’t responsible for managing the property. And the agency and state attorney general’s office recently struck a deal to have at least one security person at the building on weekdays. The residents said they didn’t know anything about the deal and don’t think it’s strong enough.
Bean, through a spokesperson, did not respond to Mirror Indy’s request for comment. Neither did the lead attorney representing IHA in the lawsuit.
A jury trial is scheduled for November 2026.
Barnes: ‘You don’t know who’s living in here now’
Lugar Tower residents have gone through a lot of change this year.
The previous property manager, Bradley Company, backed out of its agreement with IHA in July. At the same time, a company that was providing security at the complex also left. The companies, like others that have contracted with IHA, said the agency was behind on payments.
Security isn’t totally gone from Lugar Tower. When Mirror Indy visited on a Monday afternoon, there was an employee at the front desk with a sign-in sheet.
But Barnes said security just isn’t good enough right now. As a consequence, she said it’s easy for squatters to get into the building and find vacant units to stay in.
“You’re scared to get on the elevator because you don’t know who’s on the elevator,” Barnes said. “You don’t know who’s living in here now.”
As part of their evidence in the case, attorneys for Bright and Barnes submitted police reports showing 833 dispatches of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department between January 2023 and June 15, 2025.
That’s a little more than 27 dispatches per month.
“The police and paramedics,” Bright said, “they sick of coming to this place.”
In court filings, IHA has denied that not having security would lead to health and safety risks.
IHA has also raised another argument — that the agency technically doesn’t own Lugar Tower and isn’t responsible for management.
Who’s in charge of Lugar Tower
On paper, a company called Lugar LP owns Lugar Tower.
But it isn’t clear what the difference is between IHA and Lugar LP.
Attorneys for Barnes and Bright have argued that Lugar LP is essentially the same thing as IHA. Both are registered with the state to the address of IHA’s headquarters on North Meridian Street. And Bean, IHA’s CEO, is listed as Lugar LP’s president.
“I don’t think we can really tell what’s going on,” attorney Steve Nisi told Mirror Indy. “It clearly doesn’t make sense to us.”
IHA has argued throughout the lawsuit that Lugar LP is the party responsible for locating security for the building.
IHA also made the distinction as part of an agreement with the state attorney general’s office. The agreement is separate from the residents’ lawsuit. Among other things, the agreement says Lugar LP will report security incidents to the attorney general’s office and meet quarterly with tenants.
The attorney general’s office did not respond to Mirror Indy’s request for comment.
Barnes and Bright said they were caught off guard by the agreement. They have asked the court to intervene in the case.
A judge in the Marion Circuit Court originally agreed. But the state has asked the judge to reconsider.
A hearing is set for Dec. 11.
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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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