ZIONSVILLE — Residents at Crawford Manor Apartments were recently told they have to move out of their homes by February of next year.
Many are elderly and of a lower income. Some don’t even speak English.
“I’m afraid to say how many residents might actually kill themselves. Seriously. Because they’re stuck, they’re afraid, they don’t use computers, they’re not good even on the iPhones or androids," Deborah Harrington said.
Physically disabled and bound to a walker, Harrington and her furry companion, Lily, have called Crawford Manor home for more than five years.
“It’s a gated community. You’re safe to walk around, and you don’t have to worry about somebody knocking you down and stealing your purse," she said.
But that’s being taken away.
The owner of BHI Senior Living will not renew Crawford Manor’s 40-year-long Housing Assistance and Payment (HAP) contract, set to expire on February 1, 2024.
The 100-unit facility is a HUD section 202 property, which offers reduced rents to low-income tenants.
Harrington says she only pays 1/3 of her income, something she fears will be impossible somewhere else.
“To know that in a year, if I don’t have a place that I can move to, I’m gonna be in my car, out of here. That’s really scary," Harrington said.
Crawford Manor is also home to a large Chinese immigrant population — many of whom do not speak English.
“They don’t want to leave this place. They really like this place," Youyan Zhang said.
Zhang is the son of a Crawford Manor resident and offered to translate for some of the Mandarin-speaking neighbors.
“They are in their 80s (and) 90s, they don’t have the energy to move. They are low income people. They don’t have the money to move," Zhang said.
It’s been home to 86-year-old Zhifu Liang and his wife for two decades.
Liang says he’s applied to similar facilities, but the waitlists can take well over one to two years.
BHI cites the building’s age as another reason for closing, saying it would require substantial efforts to address issues with the structure, HVAC systems and resident safety updates.
The nonprofit tells WRTV it’s currently working to help residents relocate.
BHI says some of the ways it’s helping is by gathering information, assisting with applications to other properties as well as offering interpreting services for those who don’t speak English.
-
Indiana State Police investigating fatal crash on I-65 in White County
The initial investigation indicates that the driver of a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche was traveling southbound when they lost control, went off the road, struck the guardrail and overturned.
One dead, one injured in crash in Madison County
The Madison County Sheriff's Office is investigating a crash that left one man dead and another injured on Wednesday afternoon.
IndyGo fare increases set for 2026, first hike in 16 years
As with many costs in recent years, expenses for IndyGo have risen, and fares are about to follow. The transit agency will raise prices in the new year, marking its first fare increase in 16 years.
Indiana woman helps create America’s 250th birthday float for Rose Parade
Jill Fewell, Regent of the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Indianapolis' Patriot of the Year, has been invited to help build the America250 float.
