INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Health District’s new quality-of-life plan created priorities for five neighborhoods north of downtown Indianapolis, with the lack of grocery options identified as residents’ No. 1 priority.
The plan has six pillars created from neighbors’ feedback: health and wellness; neighborhood infrastructure and the environment; economic mobility; family stability and youth development; community safety and justice; and community preservation and cultural identity. The district revealed the plan Wednesday night at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis during a State of the District event, following close to a year of resident input.
The district covers more than 1,500 acres and includes 5,100 households. The plan addresses a disparity identified several years ago: Life expectancy in the district is five to 20 years lower than in surrounding areas.
Jamal Smith, executive director of the nonprofit Indy Health District, said the public-private collaboration’s main goal is to identify the social determinants that contribute to the life expectancy gap.
President Danita Hoskin of Crown Hill Neighborhood Association said the plan is in the neighborhoods’ best interest. “It makes me very angry to know my life expectancy is shortened by almost 20 years simply because I do not have access to healthy food, access to education and access to healthcare.”
The district designed each pillar in response to survey results. Its team went door to door in June and July to gather as many residents’ opinions as possible.
Crown Hill resident Sherri Session said she appreciated the community’s involvement in shaping its future. “It’s been a wonderful experience because they’re being intentional about having events like this where they bring the community together and ask what they want and respond to their needs.”
Smith said residents identified the lack of nearby grocery stores as the district’s top priority. District research found that only 20% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a grocery store and that more than 50% technically live in a food desert.
One response to the food access issue is the “floating farmers market,” a mobile pop-up launched in 2026 that brings fresh produce to each neighborhood.
“We served over 2,000 people through the farmers market,” Smith said. “In partnership with IU Health, we provide health screenings as well. So, over 1,300 people got their health screened during these farmers markets.”
Smith also said that, despite rising building-material costs and development costs over the past year, the district still plans to build two affordable housing complexes on 22nd Street at the intersections of Meridian and Illinois streets.
