The city of Bloomington met with the owners, managers and a service provider for Crawford Apartments on Tuesday, acknowledging in a news release some improvement but also potential “consequences” for numerous code violations remaining after an August 1 deadline.
“(T)he City continues to pursue all available avenues to bring the property into full compliance with local and federal standards,” the announcement said, adding that “the physical conditions of the units remain a critical concern.”
The apartments are what’s called permanent supportive housing, which is a combination of housing and services meant for people who have been chronically homeless.
The city sued the apartments' owners and management, Cinnaire and Continental, in June, citing poor living conditions that violate city code. The city’s announcement Tuesday also said it had been in touch with board members of Beacon Inc., the service provider for the apartments, about “expectations agreed upon by all parties.”
The city had issued a list of improvements for getting both Crawford buildings up to code. It also wanted a supportive services plan, staff evaluations, connection with local addiction and mental health services, and screening for potential residents.
Read more: Despite neglect, disrepair of Crawford Apartments, city hopeful for its future
The city’s announcement said the meeting with Continental, Beacon, and Cinnaire was to “reiterate expectations, review outstanding obligations, and determine next steps.”
The announcement did not specify which standards weren’t met. It said the property manager, Continental, made notable improvements to the buildings’ conditions, and that Beacon recently started resident meetings and weekly in-home case management.
Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson said the city believes in supportive housing and “can no longer separate the condition of the units from the presence or absence of supportive services. It is all connected.”
An initial hearing is set for Oct. 14 in the city’s lawsuit against Crawford Apartments.
