9978-09 Appropriating $2,463,435 from Community Development (Fund 212), defraying expenses of CED

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St. Joseph County Housing Consortium The geographic distribution of housing development countywide causes some problems for the community. Residential growth outside of South Bend and Mishawaka has generally been reliant upon septic systems. Soils in those areas may not be able to adequately accommodate much more housing construction, and current septic users may need municipal sewer services. According to the St. Joseph County Comprehensive Plan, 91% of the County may be considered unsuitable for septic use based strictly upon soil conditions (not considering residential densities, topography, etc.). Expansion of municipal water and sewer services is expensive, and is typically at the cost of individuals -generally developers of subdivisions -requesting such services. South Bend and Mishawaka's systems have capacity to add users, but infrastructure would have to be extended. In addition to lacking municipal water and sewer services, much of the new housing in the County Remainder has been built in subdivisions without sidewalks, bicycle facilities, street lights, and other typical urban amenities. County Remainder residents have begun requesting these additional amenities and expect the County to supply them. Unfortunately, local units of government lack the financing mechanisms and means to provide water and sewer extensions and other amenities. St. Joseph County has 825 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) assisted units for low income families and the elderly. Of that total, 370 are located in South Bend, 204 in Mishawaka, and 251 in the County Remainder. Section 8 Project Based Apartment Communities in St. Joseph County have 1,772 units of housing. Of that amount, 810 units (46%) are exclusively for low-income elderly residents. Of the County's units, 1,177 are located in South Bend, 443 are in Mishawaka, and 152 are in the County Remainder. Countywide, 2,648 Tenant Based Section 8 vouchers are available or in use for low-income households. Of these, 2,124 are allocated to South Bend, 300 to Mishawaka, and 224 to the County Remainder. The Housing Authority of South Bend provides 815 public housing units, the Mishawaka Housing Authority provides 299 public housing units, and the Housing Assistance Office owns and manages 47 units of housing in the County Remainder for households earning less than 80% of the area's median income. Collectively, the aforementioned provide or serve 6,406 households in St. Joseph County; 4,486 are in South Bend, 1,246 are in Mishawaka, and 674 are in the County Remainder. No notable reductions to the number of units in the assisted housing inventory are projected. Housing is available for persons with disabilities and persons with HIV/AIDS. The City of South Bend conducted a windshield survey of housing units within the city in 1991 and again in 1998. These studies revealed that the condition of housing in South Bend, on average, had declined over the 1990s. Using anecdotal evidence, one is able to draw the conclusion that the condition of the overall housing stock in South Bend has continued to decline. The latest comprehensive field check of vacant properties, completed by the Department of Code Enforcement in early 2006, tallied 2,925 vacant residential structures within the South Bend city limits. According to an analysis completed by the Department of Community & Economic Development, at least 35% of these units have active Code Enforcement repair orders. South Bend has been hit particularly hard by the foreclosure crisis and vacancy. Utilizing neighborhood stabilization index score data provided by HUD, the City ranked every census tract in the United States based on a composite "score," which was developed by adding the estimated percentage of mortgages to start foreclosure processes or be seriously delinquent in the past 2 years and the percentage of vacant addresses. Two South Bend census tracts 2010-2014 Housing and Community Development Plan 35