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CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> within the City with major home repair programs. As we look toward expanding both of those <br /> programs,we are working with our community groups currently doing weatherization and building <br /> up programs to support them with that as well. So, we are really trying to build a comprehensive <br /> suite of both enforcement tools and home repair grants so that we are able to improve the housing <br /> stock within South Bend. <br /> She continued, What was very important to us as we started this process of building this policy <br /> and the legislation was our community engagement piece. I provided here (referencing a slide in <br /> the presentation)a brief list of the amazing people we were able to meet with.We are very thankful <br /> for them lending their time and talent to us to build this policy. In particular, our partner in this is <br /> St. Vincent DePaul and they've been taking on our relocation assistance. Some others include our <br /> area landlord groups,property investors, St. Joseph County Health Department, our Lead Affinity <br /> Group, Neighborhood Resource Connection and the neighborhood associations, some of our <br /> housing providers such as South Bend Heritage Foundation, Southmore Mutual Properties, <br /> Neighborhood Development Association, the properties that Anne Mannix manages, and Tim <br /> Sexton from Notre Dame Public Affairs. In addition,there are non-profit community partners such <br /> as United Way, La Casa de Amistad, our migrant worker community, The Community Forum for <br /> Economic Justice and various other valuable community leaders. We've also been in talks with <br /> the South Bend Human Rights Commission and their relationships with HUD in addition to our <br /> relationship with the South Bend Housing Authority who feels this will be a very cooperative <br /> program with them. So, South Bend Housing Authority has a lot of trouble trying to find quality <br /> rentals and so being able to provide those on the private market will help alleviate the stress of our <br /> public housing. At this time, I would like to enter into the record various letters of support that <br /> we've received from our community members (available in the City Clerk's Office). <br /> Committeemember Karen White arrived at the meeting at 6:01 p.m. Committeemember White's <br /> arrival initiated a quorum for the Health and Public Safety Committee. <br /> Judy Fox, 725 Howard Street, stated, I did put my letter in the mail to you all, as well, but you <br /> probably haven't gotten it yet. I want to point out that I've worked in this community for more <br /> than twenty(20) years and I represent low-income renters and home owners. We have seen a real <br /> increase, I think since the financial crisis, in properties with really serious problems. Part of that <br /> has to do a lot with, I think,people bought properties after the crisis and they were in bad condition <br /> thinking they were going to flip them and make money but perhaps they didn't have the capital to <br /> do it and they rented them anyway. The properties I'm talking about have extremely serious <br /> problems. I think it's really important to point out how these problems impact communities. It's <br /> not just those renters that are impacted. The children have to change schools often and they don't <br /> do as well. They get sicker and that stresses our health programs. The legal system is extremely <br /> difficult, it is not user friendly and it is very hard to deal with these problems if you happen to be <br /> a renter in this situation. A common situation we have is that a renter agrees to rent a place, they <br /> go and look at it and it is not quite ready, they are assured it will be ready in thirty(30) days after <br /> they give notice, those thirty(30)days come and they go to move in and it is not ready. The kinds <br /> of things I am seeing, you saw on the presentation. I had a renter who had no heat last week. All <br /> of you can imagine what last week without heat must have been like. Luckily,we found temporary <br /> housing for her and the landlord finally put heat in. I have had homeowners go ninety(90) days in <br /> the summer with no water. I had a student at Notre Dame who had to walk to campus everyday to <br /> use the bathroom because his toilet was left disconnected for three(3)weeks. I had another woman <br /> rent an apartment and her toilet sat in her bathtub for three(3)weeks.These are the kinds of things <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f574.235.9173.TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 7 <br />