Anderson cuts power to most tenants still living at Bingham Square apartments

The city of Anderson has cut off power to most of the tenants still living in the Bingham Square apartments.  IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports on conditions at the blighted complex, which is part of a state lawsuit.

When power was cut off days before the season’s first snow and temperatures headed to the mid-30s, Bingham Square tenant Travis Keitt says his biggest concern is his two kids, 4 and 8 years old.

“If I can’t get the power on, I’m going to just have to like bundle up and cover up the windows and stuff.  But I’m afraid, because of this, I’m afraid that my kids might get taken away from me,” he said.

David Eicks is Anderson’s Board of Public Works chairman.  He says the power shut-off was done within guidelines set out by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC).  Those say that once a tenant is two-and-a-half months behind on payment, power can be shut off.

A power service pole outside Bingham Square shows a snipped line to the left, cutting off the power supply. (Thomas Ouellette / IPR)

Individuals staying at Bingham Square have had access to electricity for more than a year without a way to pay their bill for the service in the building owner’s name.  That’s after the owner nailed shut the management office, turned off phone lines, and an online rental payment portal stopped working.  Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing the owner in state court for abandoning the tenants.

When reached out to for comment, the IURC stated “the guidelines determine when a utility may disconnect a customer, it does not require an electric utility to disconnect a customer.”

Eicks refused to answer any further questions concerning why the city chose to cut power so close to winter.

Most residents currently at Bingham Square are also ineligible for support from the Indiana Winter Shutoff Moratorium. The moratorium would prevent utilities from being cut off between December 1 and March 15.  But that’s only for those receiving help from the federally funded Energy Assistance Program.

City Councilman Ollie Dixon has been a longtime advocate for the residents still living at Bingham Square.  At a recent public meeting, he criticized the other members of the city council for their treatment of the people still living there.

“They come along and call those people squatters, and say they blown their money on drugs, alcohol, just instead of having compassion and doing something for people, they’re lying, condemning people.”

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Two units at Bingham Square still have electricity, after the tenants had utilities put into their own names.

With potentially hazardous alternative heating methods, like camping stoves, being the residents’ only source of warmth, many fear the possibility of a fire breaking out.

Members from the Anderson Housing Authority and other charitable groups have reached out to residents staying at Bingham Square to help provide them food and clothes.

The Attorney General’s office declined to comment on the current situation.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer.  Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu