Indy Health District works to deliver action instead of excuses

• Indy residents also have an overall shorter life expectancy than the average Hoosier because of economic and environmental difficulties.

What he's saying: Smith said people have grown accustomed to hearing detailed assessments of their community's problems, but are rarely offered solutions.

• "So many folks in these neighborhoods have been promised and let down time and time again," Smith told Axios. "But we're hell-bent on delivering and executing however and whenever we can."

Driving the news: A physical example of the work Indy Health District (IHD) has done since its October 2024 debut sits at the intersection of 22nd and Illinois streets.

• That's where the Near North Development Corp. recently broke ground on an affordable housing development with support from IHD and the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership.
• The $8 million project aims to bring a mix of 26 townhomes and duplexes to the near north side by late 2026.
• It's the first of two IHD-backed housing projects in the area. A $32 million development at 22nd and Meridian will add 116 rental units to the district in 2027.

Zoom in: Other Year 1 IHD initiatives include:

• A new trail segment from 16th to 21st streets across Senate Boulevard that will link with the city's existing system.
• A system of "floating" farmers markets that rotate through the district's five near northside neighborhoods.

• An IU Health-supported career development hub called the Mosaic Center.

Flashback: IHD — a collaborative effort between IU Health, Ivy Tech Community College, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, IU School of Medicine and Citizens Energy Group — is a nonprofit that was launched to improve access to education, housing, technology, mental health resources and healthy foods in the communities near IU Health's new $2.3 billion hospital.

What's next: Smith said IHD will bring residents together in December for an organizational update and a reveal of their strategic plan.

• IHD also maintains a publicly accessible dashboard that monitors health drivers like access to care, living conditions and economic opportunities.
• The dashboard puts average life expectancy within the Indy Health District at 69 years, compared with more than 80 years in nearby suburbs.