Indianapolis, IN
These vacant school district properties will become affordable housing
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Indianapolis Public Schools will give seven unused properties to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis to build up to 16 homes as part of a broader push to make affordable homeownership possible for IPS employees.
The parcels near existing IPS schools are mostly vacant — although one parcel by William McKinley School 39 has a playground and another has an old athletic field. The locations of the properties range from the west side of the district to the Martindale-Brightwood and Fountain Square neighborhoods.
The transfer is a rare contribution of unused land by IPS that comes at an increasingly challenging time for affordable homeownership in Indianapolis. The school board’s approval of the initiative last month accompanies another partnership that the district will launch with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, which will provide finance and homeownership education for IPS employees seeking to buy homes. The group will also offer affordable lending opportunities.
IPS employees often cite housing costs as a reason for making early withdrawals from their retirement accounts, according to district officials.
“We’re really grateful when people present opportunities like this for collaboration,” said Abri Hochstetler, Habitat for Humanity’s vice president of development and communications. “It really is an all-ships-rise scenario, to bring in both INHP and Habitat to this conversation and to try to utilize community resources.”
Although the Habitat houses won’t be reserved exclusively for IPS employees, some could be eligible for homeownership through Habitat’s criteria.
IPS to partner with Habitat
Habitat preliminarily plans to build up to 16 houses across all the properties at a rate of roughly five homes per year for the next three years.
Habitat homes are available to families making no more than 80% of area median income, or roughly $88,560 for a family of four in the group’s 2025-26 cycle. Habitat homeowners must complete financial and home ownership courses and provide 200 volunteer hours, which could be spent building their home or the homes of others. Habitat then sells the home to the homebuyer, and currently offers mortgages with a 0% interest rate.
“The goal of this would be to really proactively seek out qualifying IPS staff and teachers, particularly if they’re located near those school communities, and connect them to the Habitat process, ” Zach Mulholland, the district’s executive director of operations strategy, told the school board last month.
The parcels sit near George Washington High School, Matchbook Learning at Wendell Phillips School 63, School 39, and the now closed Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56.
IPS previously acquired the land to either support a previous building project or plan for future buildings, Mulholland said. Now, they are no longer needed for current or future projects.
The district’s transfer of mostly undeveloped land is a rare one for Habitat. Before 2018, 74% of Habitat’s land was donated, according to Hochstetler. But in the past two years, only 4% of the group’s lots have been donated — and since 2018 Habitat has seen a 324% increase in land costs.
“This land donation from IPS is really wonderful, because it’s allowing us to partner with a local organization and then also eliminate one of the earliest barriers to our work, which is land acquisition,” Hochstetler said.
IPS will also partner with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that helps people with low or moderate incomes achieve affordable homeownership.
The nonprofit will offer homeownership and financing education classes to groups of at least 10 employees at designated sites throughout the district. These classes cover successful renting, budgeting, and how to understand credit.
The group can also offer one-on-one advising on how to reduce debt or save for a down payment.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Sunday’s edition of “All INdiana Politics,” WISH-TV Government Reporter Garrett Bergquist weighs in on Max Engling winning the nomination for secretary of state from Indiana’s GOP.
Later, Bergquist breaks down United Way’s 2026 ALICE report, which found that 40% of Indiana households can’t afford cost of living.
Last but not least, Bergquist sits down with Democrat Lindsey Haake and Republican Whitley Yates to discuss the race for Indiana secretary of state, the ALICE report, and the fragile peace deal between Iran and the U.S.
“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on WISH-TV.
CINCINNATI — The Savannah Bananas are back in Cincinnati, but this year they face a new opponent: the Indianapolis Clowns.
The Clowns were implemented into Banana Ball this season to honor the original Negro League team that played from the 1930s to 1989. The team also had stints in Miami (Florida) and here in Cincinnati as the Ethiopian and Cincinnati Clowns.
Rashawn Merchant
So, when 93-year-old West Chester resident Myra Merchant heard the Clowns were coming to town, she said she was shocked.
“It brings back a lot of beautiful memories,” she said.
Merchant’s husband, Henry Lewis “Speed” Merchant, was an outfielder for the original Clowns team. He coined the nickname “Speed” because of his pace on the bases.
WATCH: Meet the family of Indianapolis Clowns legend Henry Lewis “Speed” Merchant
The Savannah Bananas are back in Cincinnati, but their opponents hit home for one family
In 1950, he won the title for most stolen bases in a single season with 45 bases stolen in 80 games.
“(He) was a hell of a ball player,” Merchant said of her late husband. “He could run, he was a beautiful runner.”
“Speed” died of prostate cancer in 1982, but even four decades later, at the Merchant family’s table, sit dozens of photos and memorabilia — a physical record of a legacy Merchant refuses to let fade.
Noelle Blumel
“I can’t help it, it’s part of history,” she said. “I thank God he had a chance to prove himself in the Negro League.”
Their three children, Charisse, Herma Jean and Rashawn Merchant, still live in the Cincinnati area as well and remember the tricks he used to do as a player.
“They came up with tricks (like) hiding the ball and digging into the dirt and coming up (with it),” Charisse said.
Charisse added that even after his time as a player, their father would still perform the tricks from time to time.
“He just knew how to do so many things,” Rashawn said. “He could take the baseball and roll it down his shoulder… could catch the ball behind his back, over his head.”
Myra Merchant
Myra said the tricks, in addition to the baseball, made the games a joyful spectacle.
“There was laughter and fun in the game, the way they played it, and it was enjoyable,” Merchant said.
That enjoyment, however, came with adversity. The Clowns often had to perform in the face of open discrimination.
“It was rough,” Charisse said. “(Going to) certain places to eat, they would send whoever was the lightest-skinned guy on the team. He would go to the back and get the sandwiches or whatever to eat.”
The hostility didn’t stop there.
“Players being thrown ice, (patrons) would throw the bottles at them,” Charisse said. “But (the players) kept going and they would win the game and hurry up and get on the bus.”
Charisse added that sometimes the players could not change out of their jerseys after games because they had to leave the hostile environment immediately to avoid things escalating.
Myra described the era with unflinching clarity.
“Prejudice, back in the, the ’30s and ’40s, and even a lot of times in the ’50s, that prejudice was still there,” she said. “And you had to endure it, take it, smile and keep going.”
When asked what made the players want to keep going, Myra’s answer was immediate.
“I’ll put it this way, our Lord came here, and he knew what he had to endure,” she said. “He kept going, and that’s what the Black man has done. He kept going. Because had he stopped, where would he have been today?”
Charisse and Rashawn echoed that sentiment.
“He loved the game. It was just in his blood, and that’s what he wanted to do,” they said.
Now with a new generation of the Clowns making headlines, the Merchant family said their hope is that the fans and players know about the pioneers who wore the name first.
Rashawn Merchant
“I thank God because it lives on. He’s part of history. And it lives on through the children and every Black player. Every Black man that came through hell,” Myra said.
Charisse and Rashawn said they want that history to be part of the celebration.
“Just remember that it started through a lot of hardship, that it wasn’t all fun and games,” Rashawn said. “There’s a history there and all of it’s not the best, but they made the best of what they had.”
Myra said the struggles they went through, though grueling, are part of what makes America a great country.
“They were part of America. That’s what makes America great, and it is a great country,” she said. “This is a melting pot of beautiful colors. She have her problems — What country has none? But we can solve them together, united as one.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
2026 Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis
Finals Heat Sheet
Six women opted not to swim the 50 fly tonight, with Torri Huske, Erika Pelaez, and Liberty Clark all choosing to swim the 100 free A-final instead. They are the 7th, 8th, and 5th seed, respectively. Kristina Paegle and Anna Peplowski have likewise chosen the 100 free over the 50 fly, where they’re the 9th and 12th seeds for tonight.
On the men’s side, the only scratches come from the 100 breast, where American record holder Michael Andrew has decided to swim the 50 fly. He’ll be in lane 5 for that event tonight. Charlie Egeland has also scratched out of the 100 breast, which means his meet has come to an end.
Top – 16 SCRATCH REPORT
Women’s 800 Freestyle
Men’s 800 Freestyle
Women’s 50 Butterfly
Men’s 50 Butterfly
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Men’s 100 Freestyle
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