Approving progress report under the Workable Program for Community Improvement

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It was the concensus of the committee that definite consideration should be given to entering into such a program with federal assistance and that area designated as Number 1 in the Hill Street area should be the first target area. However, before making a recommendation to this effect, the subcommittee requested that they be given an opportunity to meet with people from the area and various civic organizations and involve the people from the area to determine what the attitudes of the people of the area would be toward entering into such a program. Therefore, the recommendations of this committee to the Chairman are: 1. That the Chairman and Secretary be directed to write a letter to the Mayor and Common Council recommending the adoption of the BOCA Minimum Housing Code. 2. That the subcommittee be directed to make further study of federally assisted code compliance programs with particular emphasis on contact with the residents in the area affected. The Chairman then called upon :Martha Erickson, chairman of the subcommittee looking into means to improve the administration of minimum housing standards and whether or not and how relocation problems can be met under a Code Compliance Program. 1rs. Erickson defined the problem; according to the Notre Dame report and Survey, there will be a need for over 2000 living units in the next two years. There is no central clearance office to process and help people in need of these units. Therefore the recommendations of her committee to the Chairman were: 1. That the Chairman and Secretary be directed to send a letter to the Mayor and Common Council recommending the establishment of a housing bureau (or some other or better name) for the following purposes: a. Its purpose would be to coordinate housing data, cooperate with all community agencies, businesses, or individuals that have housing construction, sales, leasing, or rentals, (either private or public,) to benefit low income families by helping them find housing. b. One suggestion on mode of operation was that there could be a Code-A- Phone system such as in operation in St. Paul, "_innesota. ih-- telephone recording device would accept all calls and record information whether it be someone needing housing or someone offering some type of housing. At the end of a given time all information could be correlated by a worker bringing together supply and demand. c. The program could be implemented by running a pilot program with volunteers helping the salary worker. The budget would also include a telephone recording device, advertising, printing, and the salary of the worker. d. The Bureau should be under the control of an advisory board which would in turn report to the Mayor's office or his assistant. Or could be a subcommittee of United Community Services. e. The Committee or Bureau could branch out and develop an education division to deal with the problem of proper maintenance of housing. This could be a volunteer program utilizing people from Notre Dame, Indiana Vocational Training College and church groups. f. Social Workers from United Community Services and the Welfare Department -2-