City of Bloomington Issues Notice of Default for Crawford Apartments, Reinforces Commitment to Supportive Housing

The City of Bloomington has issued a formal notice of default and suit regarding Title 16 health and safety violations to the property owners of Crawford Apartments, a Permanent Supportive Housing complex on Henderson Street designed to serve individuals experiencing street homelessness. The property operates under a Housing First model, prioritizing stable housing as the foundation for addressing other challenges, including mental health and substance use.

The Crawford Apartments were developed with the support of city funding and are governed by a 2012 Partnership Agreement and a 2016 Covenant for Deed Restrictions. Following more than a year of engagement and a prior verbal warning issued in June, the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Department identified material violations of those agreements—specifically, noncompliance with Title 16 of the Bloomington Municipal Code, which regulates rental property standards.

In response, Mayor Kerry Thomson issued the following statement:

“Ensuring safe, stable housing for those most in need is a foundational priority of my administration and a moral imperative. Permanent supportive housing is essential to Heading Home’s  Housing Action Plan and our commitment to Housing First principles, because without housing, nothing else works. 

“The Crawford Apartments are intended to be a place of refuge and recovery. We understand that many in our community have come to see Crawford as a symbol of what isn’t working; my commitment is to work towards a system that does.  The current conditions are not aligned with the values that inspired this project, nor do they meet the standards we expect. For over a year, the City has worked to support remediation, but we have reached a critical and pivotal moment. 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, Crawford Apartments, L.P.,  in accordance with our original agreements.

“This is not an act of abandonment—it is an act of belief. Belief in what this housing can still become. Belief in those who call it home. Belief that we can do better and that we must. Crawford must succeed, not only for its residents but for the future of supportive housing in Bloomington. When we allow any component of our system to falter, we risk the stability of those relying on it to exit street homelessness. 

“We are taking these steps because housing is a human right. And while our enforcement actions are directed at the property owner, we recognize that their continued partnership with Beacon, the provider of supportive services, is vital to making this model work. When supportive housing isn’t safe or functional, it fails the very people it’s meant to serve. Units left empty due to uninhabitability leave people on the streets. Accountability and care are the framework through which real progress becomes possible. 

“This is not a wait-and-see moment. The City will continue working to enforce that Crawford is a place where people can recover, rebuild, and rediscover the agency to shape their own futures. This is a necessary moment of intervention because everyone deserves housing that is dignified and safe.”