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' • Individuals with Limited English Proficiency—languages spoken across the county show significant diversity. More than half of non-native English speakers report speaking English less 1 than very well. Limited capacity to communicate hinders access to housing and public services that promote fair housing. ' • Protected Class Status& Unemployment—significant variation exists in the unemployment rate of the county and cities across gender, race, and ethnicity. Unemployment has severe implications for fair housing as it effects disposable income for household expenses. • Housing Rental Costs—disparity exists between the salary earned by minimum wage laborers and the fair market rent (FMR) established by HUD. The FMR for a 2-BR apartment is$714.A minimum wage laborer must work 76 hours a week to afford the rent. • Housing Affordability-disparity exists in the affordability of housing. Median housing values have increased while median income has decreased.There is a disparity in the affordability of a house across race/ethnicity with the housing prices of the area. • Protected Class Status & Household Size -the majority of minority families have three or more persons within their households; however, rentals are primarily 1-BR and 2-BR units. Lower rates of home ownership among minority households suggests that large minority families may have difficulty finding adequate rental housing with a sufficient number of bedrooms, which ' may result in overcrowding. • Opportunities to File Fair Housing Complaints -St.Joseph County and South Bend and Mishawaka have public ordinances to protect and enforce fair housing for residents. Lack of awareness of these ordinances and lack of consistency in handling complaints can lead to disparities in treatment across jurisdictions. ' • Unsupported Section 8 Vouchers- both the Housing Authority of Mishawaka and the St.Joseph County Housing Authority report waiting lists for Section 8 Housing Voucher assistance. • Housing Authority of South Bend -the Housing Authority of South Bend (HASB) was not available for interview. Other interviewees referenced reduced hours of operation and services due to financial constraints and organizational problems. Internal problems within HASB can limit the access of residents to housing services. • Public Transit-South Bend and Mishawaka offer public transportation for their residents. Limited nighttime hours may restrict the commuting ability of second and third shift laborers and limited access to public transportation outside of city limits may limit the commute and access to services of low-mod income populations in the county. • Denial of Mortgage Applications-an impediment to fair housing is seen in the ability of lower income and minority households to obtain home loans.The primary causes of denial were related to the household's income. The rate of denial for Blacks and Asians remains higher than the rate for Whites. Hispanic households were also challenged as their denial rate has increased. CAPER 25 OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.07/31/2015)