Mayor Hogsett Announces Martindale Brightwood as Second Lift Indy Neighborhood for 2021

INDIANAPOLIS – Today Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Martindale Brightwood as the second Lift Indy area for 2021, joining the Near North corridor. Each will receive an anticipated $3.5 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding over the next three years. 

“These funds will go toward a variety of resources aimed at keeping residents in the homes they own and in the community they love,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “This year, we took a unique approach to expand the program and adapt the application process to focus on projects well-positioned to help residents affected by the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. We’re excited to name the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood as the second 2021 Lift Indy recipient.” 

Due to the scale of the COVID-19 crisis, Lift Indy was expanded from one to two neighborhoods, each of which will receive approximately $3.5 million investment of HOME and CDBG dollars. This year’s process is focused on investing in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and projects that address the long-term impacts of the crisis. The Polis Center at IUPUI assisted the Department of Metropolitan Development by providing available data and potential factors to measure the impact of the pandemic on neighborhoods across Indianapolis. 

Martindale Brightwood joins four previously designated Lift Indy neighborhoods: Monon16, the Old Southside, East 10th Street, and the Near North corridor. To identify the Lift Indy areas, the City of Indianapolis used data provided by the Reinvestment Fund to identify locations where a multi-year commitment of funding would catalyze investment and preserve affordability, while supporting comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. Projects were selected from a pool of applicants and then chosen by a selection committee consisting of leaders from the City, non-profit, and business communities. 

At today’s announcement Mayor Hogsett was joined by City-County Council Vice President and District 17 Councillor Zach Adamson, in addition to the Lift Indy project team, the Edna Martin Christian Center, Renew Indianapolis, and the Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation.

“We’re thrilled to support this critical effort with programs designed to assist our neighbors in achieving greater sustainability. With these partnerships, we move our neighborhood one step closer to the transformation and renewal our residents deserve,” said Barato Britt, Edna Martin Christian Center. “Like so many neighborhoods, we are grappling with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc and uncertainty on many of our families. During this challenging time, we stand ready as a partner to afford more residents access to comprehensive supports including our two generation coaching programs and workforce development supports.”

“Renew Indianapolis is proud to join the Lift Indy team and help build the vision of the Martindale-Brightwood community,” said Steven Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of Renew Indianapolis. “The City’s investment preserves the character of the neighborhood and creates new opportunities to enjoy a thriving community.”

 “We are honored and delighted to be a part of the Lift Indy process to revive and restore development in Martindale Brightwood,” said Amina Pierson, Executive Director for the Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation. “These grants will allow us to uplift and stabilize the neighborhood, providing critical resources as neighbors recover from the pandemic.”