Madison Square Apartments fail AHA inspection in 5 units

Ken de la Bastide, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

Oct. 28—ANDERSON — Emergency repairs at five apartments at the Madison Square Apartments have to be corrected within 24 hours.

During a Wednesday meeting of the Anderson Housing Authority (AHA), Executive Director Kim Townsend said the inspections were of five clients on Section 8 public housing assistance.

An inspection of five apartments at the Madison Square Apartments found four of the apartments didn't have working smoke detectors and the fifth had a faulty boiler.

Madison Square Apartments are owned by Property Resource Associates, the owner of the embattled Bingham Square Apartments.

AHA had 21 clients at Bingham Square when 11 units failed for a lack of operating smoke detectors, heating and air conditioning units not working properly, water leaks and mice infestation.

Townsend said the emergency repairs at Bingham Square have been completed and the agency withheld two days rent.

Mary Roland, assistant AHA director, said Bingham Square still has to complete the repairs that were required to be done within 30 days of the AHA inspection.

"If the repairs are not made the clients have to move or be taken off the housing program," she said.

Townsend said although AHA has not received official notice from Property Resource Associates, their clients at both apartment complexes and the city of Anderson were informed they would no longer accept Section 8 housing vouchers.

"Bingham Square is impacting our public housing," she said. "Our clients renting on a month-by-month basis have to move by Nov. 30."

Townsend said other clients on a lease will have to move when the terms of the lease expire.

She said clients also have to put the utilities in their name by Nov. 1, instead of having utilities provided through their rent payments.

Townsend said United Way of Madison County has provided $10,000 in utility assistance for those tenants.

She said AHA is looking for new housing options for residents of both Bingham Square and Madison Square.

Townsend said new landlords are being added to the program and a resolution of an issue with a landlord that will make more housing units available.

Last year the Anderson City Council approved a $935,000 bond to complete the renovation of the former Courtyard Apartments, 2725 W. 16th St.

The funds came from revenues generated by the city's Tax Increment Financing District.

The city is not obligated for the repayment of the bond issue, which is being funded by the increased assessed valuation of the Bingham Square Apartments.

Property Resources paid $2.3 million for the property and estimated the rehabilitation work would cost $1.8 million.

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.