08-26-19 Zoning and Annexation - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OFSOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK is a proven and cost-effective solution to the needs of people with disabilities who are homeless. Unfortunately, although Oliver Apartments is touted as PSH it lacks all of the fundamental things that make PSH work. The PSH approach integrates permanent affordable rental housing with best practice community based supportive services. The caseworker the Oliver Apartments has sixty (60)clients. She cannot meet the needs of this population. Tenants can and do continue their drugs use in their apartments at which point the apartment becomes currency and shelters traded for drug and sex. Tenants assault and steal from each other and are still allowed to stay. Security is far and few between. At first, they had none, then they employed a guy that was selling drugs (witnessed it myself), and now they have a part-time police officer that tenants tell me hides in an office upstairs. They have dozens of no trespassing orders that are mostly against previous tenants, but I'm told that these people sneak into windows at night and leave before staff shows up. In conclusion and in my own words now, South Bend Heritage with great difficulty secured from State and Municipal sources a lot of money to build this second(2nd) structure. Almost 3.5 million dollars. Nobody should turn their back lightly on this kind of money but should consider this; If the 3.5-million-dollar project is built and not run properly, then all we have done is built a 3.5- million-dollar problem for future generations to contend with. Andrea Rogers of 508 Y2 W. Washington Street, in South Bend, IN stated, I and my business have been a part of the east end of the West Washington neighborhood for twenty (20) years. I am so pleased to see the efforts that the City and the various agencies are making to address the growing number of homeless in our community. This multifaceted approach that involves different types of shelter and programing is very encouraging,and I do believe that permanent supportive housing is an important part of a larger formula. At the same time, I have some very strong concerns about the proposed PSH facility in the fifteen-hundred (1500) block of West Washington Street. My neighbors talk about the problems they have with drug dealing, drug use and gun fire in that area. I see and hear it on my end of the street as well. I am very concerned about the people who prey on the homeless population, going through our neighborhood and making the existing problems worse. This has been experienced in Rum Village around the Oliver Apartments according to the neighbors. Security for the residence of this PSH complex and the surrounding neighbors is a major concern just as it's already been for the Oliver Apartments neighbors. We were told that the plan is to have someone on site for forty(40)hours per week,but no one on duty from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. When my neighbors and I raised our concerns about this with South Bend Heritage we were told that quote, nothing bad ever happens between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. I find this very hard to believe. We were also strongly encouraged to organize a neighborhood watch as a solution to our concerns. This is not an adequate response. Apparently, it isn't the developer's responsibility to address security issues, notifying the neighbors or addressing our concerns. It really should be the City's no matter which neighborhood these facilities are placed in. The near Westside already contains a great deal of subsidized housing. In addition to the West Washington Street PSH facility, we recently learned that one (1) of the Gemini Apartment buildings located between Colfax and Washington will be used entirely for PSH vouchers with no one on site to supervise. This means that we will have this additional PSH facility for a difficult to house population in our neighborhood. This will take place without any vote from City Council or input from neighbors. I am not opposed to PSH facilities, I just want to see them run properly and with adequate funding. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I am also asking you to spread out the burden of housing for the homeless among all parts of the City not just Rum Village, the near Westside and South Michigan Street. Why is it ok to continue to concentrate this type of housing in this part of town? Thank you for your consideration and your time. EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 10