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•CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> those areas were that needed to be smoothed out and talked about them. You figured it out and <br /> now you're making these changes, so we can vote this evening. I want to remind people what lead <br /> poisoning and poor housing does to children. It affects their academic achievement.These are kids <br /> dropping out of school at much higher rates than other children who are living in higher quality <br /> houses. Higher drop-out rates, lower lifetime earnings, and then higher rates of criminality are <br /> connected, correlated, to, lead poisoning and poor housing conditions. So, the role of the Board of <br /> Health, how we see it, we engage in public health policy to improve the health of the community <br /> and we recognize that this program is here to address the intersection of housing and health that <br /> we think will improve public health outcomes for our community. There were pictures up here <br /> from Code Enforcement of what the inside of a house looks like. As part of my research, I have <br /> been inside of forty-seven (47) homes this summer. There were several where I witnessed, first <br /> (1St)-hand, devastating living conditions that I would never have my own children, certainly my <br /> family, live in. Yet,people are homeless within their own homes. I would oppose the thought that <br /> somehow folks have a choice to be living in those homes.That is not the case.Not when I'm sitting <br /> with a mom who is telling me about her child that had been lead poisoned at two (2) years old, <br /> stopped crawling and stopped talking, who is now six (6) years old, in school and being bullied. <br /> That is what is happening. That mom did not have a choice about the housing conditions and she <br /> has no repercussions. This is the first (1St) time this kind of legislation, this ordinance, will allow <br /> for folks to have some control over the situation. So, tonight, I think, and it might feel like I'm <br /> overstating it, but I don't think I am, you have a profound opportunity to do something very <br /> dramatic and life-changing for our community. We've never embarked on anything like this and <br /> you guys have that opportunity to make that change. So, I want to encourage you to vote yes <br /> because this is an opportunity to improve health and housing for the kids in our community. Thank <br /> you. <br /> John Horton, 721 Cottage Grove, stated, I have five (5) properties in the Near Northwest <br /> Neighborhood. I think this is a quality of life issue. I have seen it first (1St)-hand in our <br /> neighborhood. It is a quality of life issue not only for the people that live in these houses but for <br /> the neighbors, community and the City at large. We need to ask ourselves what kind of City we <br /> want to be. Allowing inadequate housing, I don't think, is the kind of City we should be. So, I <br /> think this is just the basis. It is the least we can do, and I am in total support of this. <br /> Committee Chair Broden turned the floor back to the Committee for further comment or main <br /> motion. <br /> Committee Chair Broden asked for a show of hand from members of the audience who did not <br /> speak at the podium, who is in favor and who is in opposition. <br /> Ms. Fritzberg stated, I want to thank all the commenters for their input and certainly those that <br /> we've worked with. There was a concern raised around the number of landlords that will request. <br /> I just clarified with leadership, I think the language as it currently stands is the landlord will have <br /> to request inspection in that first(1St)year to have access to a potential five(5)year certificate. We <br /> are happy to change the language so that it is not a requirement and, instead, it is anyone that can <br /> receive a five (5) year certificate depending on the quality of the safety standard of the property. <br /> So, that may alleviate the capacity concerns and should just be a point of clarification, we are not <br /> trying to create hurdles to make it harder to access a certificate with longer years of validity, that <br /> should correlate closely with the safety standard of the direct property and our ability to work well <br /> with ownership or management there. I also wanted to touch on the investment concern. As we <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 Tl-D 574.235.5567Iwww.southbendin.gov <br /> 15 <br />