New leader to take troubled Indianapolis Housing Agency’s reins in February

This story was originally published on WFYI. By Emily Hopkins After more than two decades of mismanagement that culminated in a federal takeover last year, the Indianapolis Housing Agency is getting a new leader. In a video message, Yvonda Bean revealed last week that she would be stepping down from her position as CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority in South Carolina to lead IHA. “The organization is troubled and in HUD receivership and needs my skill set to turn things around,” Bean said in the video. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development took over the agency in April, a drastic step that the federal agency only takes in the most extreme circumstances. A Mirror Indy investigation published in November revealed that IHA struggled for more than two decades to properly administer its Section 8 housing voucher program. As a result, the agency at times housed fewer people than it had funding for. And in some cases, Section 8 renters became homeless as a result of IHA’s failures. Mayor Joe Hogsett praised Bean’s appointment in a news release distributed by HUD. “I look forward to seeing the ways in which her expertise from serving more than two decades...