The Meranda in Jeffersonville(Aprile Rickert / LPM)Some residents of a Jeffersonville property for lower income seniors and people with disabilities say they don't feel safe.Dozens of residents at The Meranda, formerly Claysburg Tower II, attended a community meeting this week, with some sharing concerns about what they’ve experienced at the high-rise property.The residents conveyed stories of drug use, people passed out or having sex in public spaces, and unsecured outer doors allowing non-residents to gain access.Some people say they’ve been threatened, sexually assaulted or experienced or seen other physical violence.“They need security there,” one woman said. “I don't care if it costs $100 an hour.”The woman said she only takes her dog out once a day, and early. She said the area turns into “a jungle” after management leaves at 5 p.m.The site had health and safety issues under previous ownership.Steele Properties announced in a 2022 news release the $37.9 million acquisition and rehabilitation of the 200-plus unit property. It said they were partnering with Monroe Group Ltd. for management.Despite the changes, some residents say problems persist.Cindy Mathis, who’s lived there since 2019, said a few weeks ago, someone knocked on her door. She started to unlock it, thinking it was a family member she was expecting, when a man tried to push his way in.“I pushed back, locked it at the same time,” Mathis said after the meeting. “My hands did not leave the lock or the handle. If I hadn't done that, God only knows what. I don't know this man.”She said the violence has gotten out of hand.“I keep my door locked 24/7. Even during the day I do not leave my door unlocked.”During the meeting, Mathis also said her fiancee has been hit in the head with a flashlight, and she chased people away from trying to harm a person with disabilities.Mathis used to work in public housing, so she knows management has a tough job. But they need security, she said.Jeffersonville Council Member Evan Stoner started pushing the issue after hearing from residents a few months ago.He said when he reached out to local property management, he was referred to the Colorado-based corporate ownership.“After about a month of back-and-forth and realizing that they weren't committed to the changes — they weren't committed, at the very least, to putting on-site security in the building — that's when I decided to turn to the community,” Stoner said.He’s posted on social media and called the community meeting to give residents a voice. He said he was incredibly proud of them for speaking out.“It shows you that it's the entire community that's concerned about this issue, and the entire community is willing to participate and be involved in finding solutions,” he said during the meeting.Stoner previously posted information from Clark County 911 showing Jeffersonville police responded to the property more than 700 times in 2025 — for reports including a suspicious person, trespassing, drugs, theft, sexual assault and shots fired. That’s roughly double the response from the year before. Fire response also doubled over the two years.Jeffersonville Assistant Police Chief Josh Lynch said at the meeting he took notes on what everyone said, and he understands the challenges.He’s familiar with the site — his grandmother lived there, and he grew up there. He also worked security in the building for several years.Lynch said the property “is the number one location in the city of Jeffersonville that officers check on” without being called. He added, “We are going to be present. Especially with me as assistant chief.”Lynch also noted that half the speakers mentioned residents are letting in some of the problems.But Jeffersonville Council Member Dustin White, whose district the property is in, told LPM News that crime there is infrequent. He said there have been three crimes against a person in the past year and one was between two people who didn’t live there. He said the 911 calls “do not equal arrest or crimes committed."He also said he’s been in talks with ownership and suggested they organize a meeting to hear from residents, which happened recently. He said around 10 people were there.White spoke at the end of Thursday’s meeting, saying officials can help residents come together to get to know each other, so they know who is and isn’t living there.Carol Moon is president of the neighborhood association in Claysburg, where the property has stood for generations.She said the living conditions have improved under new ownership, but the security issues are the same.“People deserve to be secured and live a good life. It doesn't matter if you're on subsidized housing or not,” she said. “You deserve to live somewhere safe, and that’s not happening.”“Not only is it not happening there, it’s not happening in this community anymore.”Moon said she wants to meet with residents and help them organize their own union. Mathis, the woman who moved into the complex in 2019, said a few residents previously had a small team that did things like try to check people's IDs when they came in, but it didn’t last.LPM News viewed an email chain between Council Member Stoner and corporate counsel for Monroe Group.In mid-March, the attorney wrote: “Any allegation of illegal activity involving staff or residents is taken seriously and will be reviewed and investigated as appropriate,” and that Jeffersonville police have access to the camera system.Stoner later wrote that he believed The Meranda and Monroe Group were not taking their responsibilities seriously to secure the building. He outlined steps he’d like to see, including Monroe Group hiring a reputable on-site security team.Stoner said he’d been in talks with state and federal partners who could, if necessary, connect him to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development “to determine how to handle these issues with greater urgency and seriousness.”The attorney responded: “We do not agree with your accusations and threats outlined below, as Monroe Group has done a great deal to improve the situation at The Meranda, which, I will remind you, was in very poor condition prior to our management, ownership and substantial renovation of the property.”Monroe Group did not respond to a request for comment via phone by deadline.Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County. ...read more read less