The Bloomington Housing Authority recently broke ground on a $2.1 million, two-story building in northwest Bloomington that will provide apartments and child care services to low-income residents.
Local leaders including Mayor Kerry Thomson and Monroe County Commissioner Penny Githens attended a ceremony on Dec. 4 at 1020 N. Monroe St., across from the Crestmont community.
What is being built across from Cresmont?
The building’s first floor will provide daycare for up to 28 infants and toddlers, ages 0 to 3, in three classrooms. The second floor will house three 2-bedroom apartments with 584 to 664 square feet.
A drawing of the early learning center the Bloomington Housing Authority plans to build in the Crestmont community
The apartments are intended for single parents, so their children can go to the on-site child care center while the parent pursues professional development.
Nathan Ferreira, the housing authority’s director of real estate development, said families with young children need affordable housing as well as affordable child care. Without one or the other, they are likely to struggle financially.
Child care costs have risen sharply in the last few years as pandemic pressures forced people, especially women, out of the labor force. Economists have said the high cost of child care has prompted many parents to reevaluate whether to forego a second income, save child care expenses and spend more time with their children.
“Co-locating childcare with affordable housing is a growing trend among affordable housing developers that helps to establish financial stability for low to mid-income families by addressing the two items that cause the greatest strain on household budgets,” the housing authority said in a project description it sent via email.
“The northwest side of Bloomington, Indiana, is home to some of the city’s most vulnerable families … Among the many challenges facing low to mid-income families, the lack of access to high-quality, affordable childcare is possibly the greatest,” the housing authority said.
Which agencies are facilitating the project?
The BHA is building the project through a nonprofit subsidiary, Summit Hill Development Corp. The architect is Bloomington-based Springpoint. The project has seven funding sources, including the city of Bloomington, Monroe County and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
Child care services will be provided by the South Central Community Action Program, a Bloomington-based nonprofit that provides energy assistance, weatherization and Head Start services.
Building named after pastor, pilot, jazz pianist
The building is named The Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler Early Learning Center.
Chandler, born in Bloomington on Oct. 3, 1929, was a jazz pianist, pilot, civil rights activist and pastor. He was inducted in the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010. He died in 2023.
Marvin Chandler and his wife, Portia, in a file photo from 2017.
Eddy Riou Jr., executive director of SCCAP, said while he did not know Chandler personally, he worked with his children and grandchildren.
“His daughter, Jolene Wright was a dedicated Head Start teacher at SCCAP for many years,” Riou said, “and his granddaughter, Krista, was an employee and volunteer at SCCAP, too. To see his legacy of humanitarianism live on within his family is an inspiration to all.”
Musician, peacemaker: The legacy of Bloomington native Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler
Riou said Chandler was the fifth of nine children, and his passion for music enabled him to perform all over the world, though he remained committed to his local community.
“He founded the first African American congregation based ecumenical association in the country,” Riou said. “He fought for desegregation. He directed non-for-profits. And he raised a wonderful family.”
Riou said the center that will bear Chandler’s name will be “a beacon” for the city of Bloomington.
Ferreira said the building is scheduled to be completed in October of next year.
The BHA is an independent agency governed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Summit Hill subsidiary was founded in 2019 “to create and sustain vibrant communities for low to moderate income individuals, seniors, and families by providing high-quality affordable housing, supportive services, community development and economic development.”
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington breaks ground on low-income housing, child care center