IHA defends $1100 office furniture purchase while thousands remain on housing waiting lists

A controversial purchase at the Indianapolis Housing Agency office has people concerned why their tax dollars are going to buy furniture when there are still thousands of people on a housing waiting list across the city. A concerned citizen first noticed the purchases at the IHA main office: a new leather love seat, two leather chairs, a corner table and a coffee table. The total cost was around $1,100, but with the agency’s always shrinking federal budget was it the right way to spend those tax dollars? “It was the right time to buy the furniture that we purchased. We were considering the comforts and safety of our residents as they come to our officers for difficult situations,” said Duane Ingram, IHA Asset Management Director.