St. Joseph County Housing Consortium

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AP-85 Other Actions - 91.420, 91.220(k) Introduction The City of South Bend has developed the following actions planned to: address obstacles to meeting underserved needs, foster and maintain affordable housing, reduce lead-based hazards, reduce the number of poverty-level families, develop institutional structures, and enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies. Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs Despite efforts made by the City of South Bend and social service providers, a number of significant obstacles remain to meeting underserved needs. With funding resources being scarce, funding becomes the greatest obstacle for the City of South Bend to meet its underserved needs. Insufficient funding lessens the ability to fund many worthwhile public service programs, activities, and agencies. Through its planning efforts,the City will use its limited resources to address the City of South Bend's greatest needs and improve the quality of life for its residents. The following obstacles need to be overcome in order to meet underserved needs: • Lack of decent, safe, sound, and affordable owner and renter housing. • High cost of construction and rehabilitation work. • Aging in place population who need accessibility improvements. • Need major rehabilitation of the City's aging housing stock. • High eviction rates and foreclosure rates leading to vacant properties. • Low wages in the service and retail sector job market. Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing To foster and maintain affordable housing,the City of South Bend proposes the following Five-Year Goals and Strategies: HS-1 Housing Development - Increase the number of decent safe, sanitary, accessible, and affordable housing units in the County,both for owner-occupied and rental-occupied housing. HS-2 Homeownership — Increase the opportunities for homeownership for low- and moderate-income households through downpayment/closing cost assistance, and housing counseling services. HS-3 Housing Rehabilitation —Promote and assist in the preservation of existing owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing in the County. HS-4 Lead-Based Paint—Promote and educate property owners on the dangers of lead-based paint and safe work practices to abate lead-based paint in their residences. HS-5 Housing Assistance — Promote and provide housing stability through mortgage assistance tax payments, rental assistance, deposits,and utility payments for low- and moderate-income households who are at risk of homelessness. OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.07/31/2025) 200