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

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St. Joseph County Housing Consortium areas not accessible before and continues to expand the availability of public housing in all areas of the City. Having long since made all public housing lead safe and after implementing an award- winning Section 8 Landlord Assistance Program concerning the 2001 implementation of the Lead Rule for Section 8 properties (which resulted in the HASB not losing one landlord over the proposed rule), the HASB in 2006 applied for and received a Lead Hazard Control Grant. The HASB has submitted another application for Lead Hazard Control and is an active participant organization in the St. Joseph County Lead and Healthy Homes Task Force. In the near future the HASB will be looking to additional revenue streams to continually expand the number of families it can serve via public housing and similarly Section 8. The use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits and project based section 8 housing are two options being contemplated. Mishawaka The Mishawaka Housing Authority is expanding services in River View 500 to include assisted living for low and moderate income elderly and disabled individuals and families. Specific improvements are being made to the building in order that it can be licensed to provide assisted living services and receive reimbursement from Medicaid for the services provided. The improvements are expected to cost approximately $2.5 million and are being financed through Housing Authority reserves, a Federal Home Loan Bank grant, and a private loan using the Mary Phillips School Apartment building as collateral. Barriers to Affordable Housing (91.210. (e) and 91.215 (f)) 1. Explain whether the cost of housing or the incentives to develop, maintain, or improve affordable housing are affected by public policies, particularly those of the local jurisdiction. Such policies include tax policy affecting land and other property, land use controls, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limits, and policies that affect the return on residential investment. 2. Describe the strategy to remove or ameliorate negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing, except that, if a State requires a unit of general local government to submit a regulatory barrier assessment that is substantially equivalent to the information required under this part, as determined by HUD, the unit of general local government may submit that assessment to HUD and it shall be considered to have complied with this requirement. The cost of housing is affected by various public policies. Property Tax Rate -Tax codes have traditionally restricted housing development in St. Joseph County as homeowners in South Bend and Mishawaka pay city taxes while those in the County Remainder do not. The tax rates for South Bend and Mishawaka put both cities at a disadvantage relative to the rest of the county, particularly in attracting new development. To address this problem, South Bend has implemented a residential tax abatement program which may account for a proportional rise in housing building permits in the City. In addition, the County Property Tax Rate for St. Joseph County is the second 2010-2014 Housing and Community Development Plan 43