City leaders and neighborhood associations gathered Monday morning to announce the launch of Indy Health District (IHD), a new nonprofit committed to addressing health inequities in Indianapolis’ near north side.
The IHD was created in response to address food insecurity, health inequality and socioeconomic disparities leading to a lower life expectancy in the near north side compared to other areas of the city. The district covers a 1,500-acre area from the north end of downtown up to Crown Hill Cemetery, which is home to historic neighborhoods, commercial and industrial zones, local schools and college campuses.
“Over the last several years, we have listened closely to the voices of community members within the district’s boundaries to guide the development of this organization and will remain committed to listening to their input and feedback,” IHD executive director Jamal Smith said in a statement. “Our ultimate goal is to create physical and institutional frameworks that elevate the health and well-being of everyone who lives, works and plays in the Indy Health District.”
The IHD, which began in 2017 as an idea, is a collaborative effort between IU Health, IU School of Medicine, Citizens Energy Group, Ivy Tech Community College and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, as well five neighborhood associations — including Crown Hill, Highland Vicinity, Historic Flanner House Homes, Meridian Highland and Ransom Place.
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Over the last few years, the IHD have hosted a number of town halls and met regularly with the neighborhood associations to get their input to help guide market research, said Tory Callaghan Castor, Indy Health District Board Chair and senior vice president of government and external affairs at IU Health.
“We’re exploring conversations with other groups to figure out how we can kind of buildup housing in the area,” Castor said. “We know there’s a pretty significant shortage both affordable and workforce, but we also want to make sure it’s a mixed typology as well.”
IHD broke ground on a lot on West 22nd Street back in September. The lot, which used to be home to a dry cleaner, is currently having its soil treated before construction of twenty affordable housing townhouses and duplexes starts in January 2025. Another building across the street will be demolished to make room for 116 blended community and affordable housing units in January 2026, IHD board member Brian Cameron told the Recorder.
In addition to creating more equal opportunity housing, the IHD is also introducing new programming, which will include workforce development, job training in health care and increasing the number of trails and green spaces in the area.
“That then supports further investments in retail, food access, grocery stores,” Castor added. “As we continue to do this research and market analysis, it’ll begin to lay a path forward to support what the interests are.”
The area needs more density to be able to support a grocery store, which is where the affordable housing comes in. However, in the interim, Dennis Murphy, president and CEO of IU Health, said they are looking at other options including food pantries, community gardens and programs such as the one at IU Health Methodist Hospital, which offers a “Nutrition Hub” — or food locker program in place where people can get a referral to access healthy food options.
“I think we do as much as we can today in terms of access,” Murphy said. “We’ve had a lifelong existence of serving all people, regardless of their ability to pay and will change that. So, we want people to feel comfortable that Methodist is not just the place you come when you’re really sick, or University Hospital is not the place where you come when you need a transplant. It’s a place to come for all your health care.”
The IHD will host its first official community gathering event in November 2024. For more information about the event or the nonprofit, visit indyhealthdistrict.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848 or chloegm@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
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