08-03-2007 Commission adopts contracts for $1 home effort

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Luecke and city officials gathered May 29 to introduce a three-year, $6.825 million strategy to reduce South Bend's vacant houses by more than one-fifth, with most of the focus aimed at reducing abandoned houses by 72 percent. The comprehensive strategy includes the demolition of 400 derelict houses and the revitalization of 45 distinctive properties in targeted neighborhoods. The effort grew out of City Plan, the city's 20-year comprehensive plan based on resident input, and is one of five directives Luecke issued to staff in his 2007 State of the City address. Vacant and abandoned housing is a nationwide problem with such properties accounting for about 15 percent of the area of the typical large city, more than 12,000 acres on average, according the Brookings Institution. South Bend has 621 houses that are both vacant and abandoned, according to a May 2006 survey by the city's Department of Code Enforcement. They represent 28 percent of all vacant houses throughout the city. The city distinguishes between vacant properties —which have no code enforcement violations and up-to-date taxes—and abandoned properties. Vacant properties that don't have activity for three months are considered abandoned. This strategy's plan to end the abandonment of 445 houses would represent a reduction of 72 percent of the city's 621 abandoned houses. Of the overall figure of 2,183 vacant homes, it represents a reduction of 20.4 percent. - 30 -