City of Bloomington Issues Default Notice to Crawford Apartments Over Health, Safety Violations

Written from press release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — June 24, 2025

The City of Bloomington has issued a formal notice of default and filed suit against the owners of Crawford Apartments, citing significant violations of city health and safety codes at the supportive housing facility, according to a press release Tuesday.

The property, located on South Henderson Street, serves individuals experiencing homelessness and operates under a “Housing First” model. It was developed with city funding and governed by a 2012 Partnership Agreement and a 2016 Covenant for Deed Restrictions. The city’s Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Department identified what it called “material violations” of those agreements—specifically noncompliance with Title 16 of the Bloomington Municipal Code, which outlines rental housing standards.

In a statement Tuesday, Mayor Kerry Thomson said the action follows more than a year of engagement with the property owners, Crawford Apartments, L.P., including a verbal warning last June and efforts to encourage remediation.

“The current conditions are not aligned with the values that inspired this project, nor do they meet the standards we expect,” Thomson said. “Due to continued noncompliance with Bloomington’s rental housing code and failure to address essential maintenance issues causing concern for safety, the City of Bloomington has issued a formal notice of default and suit to the property owner.”

The mayor emphasized the city’s continued commitment to supportive housing and affirmed that the action was meant to protect vulnerable residents rather than abandon the project.

“This is not an act of abandonment—it is an act of belief,” Thomson said. “Belief in what this housing can still become. Belief in those who call it home.”

The statement also acknowledged the role of Beacon, the nonprofit providing on-site supportive services, and noted the importance of its continued involvement. According to the city, vacant or uninhabitable units leave people without shelter, undermining the entire housing-first approach.

Thomson concluded by stating the city will enforce housing standards to ensure Crawford Apartments can fulfill its original mission: offering residents a dignified, stable place to live and recover.

The city’s legal action seeks to compel compliance and bring the property up to code. Further details about the lawsuit were not immediately available.

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