INDIANAPOLIS — At this moment, thousands of families are waiting desperately to get housing. At the same time, money being funneled through the books of the Indianapolis Housing Agency show spending on several projects that have nothing to do with housing people.
'Mustang Ranch' is a vacant dealership at 30th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, with several rusted vehicles in the back. Call 6 Investigates obtained internal documents that show Hoosier tax dollars are paying for security services, electricity, and mowing, for the property purchased by Insight Development Corp. — the not-for-profit arm of the Indianapolis Housing Agency.
"When you have resources that are diverted to other places — where we can use the focus with our core mission, I believe it hurts all of us at the end of the day," John Hall, IHA Executive Director, said. "We are not able to take on Marion County residents."
John Hall is the executive director of IHA, who's agency has been slapped with several critical audits questioning their money management.
Knowing that, RTV6 flew our Drone across the street to 2954 Martin Luther King Drive.
More internal financial records drew RTV6 to a vacant retail center. Insight Development bought the property in March for $360,000.
"Housing is our primary mission at IHA," Hall said. "This project, when acquired by Insight, goes against what our primary mission is at IHA."
Hall says he does not know why Insight Development acquired a shopping center. He also says Insight has strayed from its mission, and his goal is to reign in their operations and reform what they do.
"I want to bring Insight into the IHA umbrella. I think it helps to consolidate our resources, our staffing; it brings about more efficiency and effectiveness," Hall said.
According to Hall, he is working on a plan called 'Design of the Decade' to reform the agency.
RTV6 did reach out to the President of Insight, Jennifer Green. IHA has a 'no talking to the media' policy, but Green was permitted in writing to address this issue.
Green did not respond to RTV6's request, though given 24 hours, and was provided with the exact nature of the request.
The mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, has no oversight over the Insight board, but he does appoint four of the nine people that oversee IHA.
The mayor says, in part:
"I will ask the Indy Chamber to oversee a review of the organizational structures of both IHA and Insight Development and to make recommendations regarding the future structure and relationship of both entities."
