Dec. 14—ANDERSON — Thanks to the efforts of government agencies and individuals, several tenants have been moved out of the beleaguered Bingham Square Apartments.
Greg Graham, chairman of the Anderson Homeless Task Force, said Friday that four families have been moved into new homes.
“I met with the residents of Bingham Square,” he said. “We made a list and started working on the problem.”
Graham said the Anderson Housing Authority helped move the four families.
“There were unbelievable conditions,” he said of the apartments. “There was a cockroach infestation and black mold. They were heating with propane heaters.”
Graham said a family with three young children had moved into a three-bedroom apartment and received donated furniture and food.
“The city paid for people to stay at a local hotel” while they waited for new housing, Graham said.
He added that squatters live in Bingham Square.
Kim Townsend, executive director of the Anderson Housing Authority, said it is important to recognize the steps taken by the administration of Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr.
She said the city paid the first month’s rent, as well as the security deposit and utilities.
“This is the fourth mass movement of people,” Townsend said. “Everyone did what they could.”
The owners of the Bingham Square Apartments have pending lawsuits filed by the Indiana Attorney General’s office and the Anderson Redevelopment Commission.
Townsend said the city needs to create a contingency plan for people who need help finding a place to live.
Homeless Task Force members discussed developing a responsive plan that will tell people what services are available.
Members discussed creating a guide with resources to help people in need of shelter, food and medical care.
OTHER MATTERS
Task Force members were told that Anderson requires nighttime warming stations during cold weather.
The available shelters normally close at night.
There is a nightly warming station at Mercy St. Vincent Hospital and Harmony House for men in Elwood.
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
