2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

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• High foreclosure rate was still a relevant issue • Large elderly population living in homes they could not maintain • Many issues including unemployment, under employment, and foreclosures can take a toll on a person's emotional and mental health. Such issues could be a contributing factor to abuse, addiction, and homelessness. South Bend's neighborhood revitalization focus became more urgent in recent years with the onset of the national housing crisis and the resulting number of vacant and abandoned homes. That situation, coupled with an aging housing stock, created a challenging environment for neighborhoods and the community. Complementary responses including acquisition/rehabilitation, owner-occupied rehab, homebuyer assistance, and rental housing options were seen as necessary and critical to achieving revitalization and assuring other investment. Therefore, resources were directed toward programs that addressed those activities. In 2023, the City began taking applications for owner-occupied home repairs in targeted neighborhoods, for projects to begin in 2024 and will focus on those items that directly affect the integrity of the house such as roofs and furnaces. Actions taken to reduce lead-based paint hazards. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City continues to work with numerous community partners through the Lead Affinity Group. Coordination with St.Joseph County Health Department, University of Notre Dame Lead Innovation Team (NDLIT) and the Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc.,as well as other local partners resulted in new and increased avenues for education, marketing, and testing for elevated blood levels in children, and increased awareness about available resources such as the NDLIT lead screening kit, City of South Bend lead remediation grant, and Department of Health resources. For more than 5 years,the City has been the recipient of grant funds to address lead-based paint hazards through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.The City currently has available approximately$3.3 million in funding through a FY21 HUD Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant for lead based paint mitigation work and healthy homes funding.The grant can assist owner-occupied and rental units with income qualifying occupants. In 2024, nine(9) owner-occupied homes and two (2) rental units had lead mitigation completed. A total of$324,100 of work was completed benefitting 13 adults and 19 children. A condition of receiving any federal funds requires the consideration of lead based paint in housing. Projects involving rental or mortgage assistance are required to have a lead assessment completed prior to committing funds. Developers who are doing housing rehabilitation either complete lead testing prior to work being completed or proceed under the assumption of the presence of lead based paint and in most cases remove the threat through abatement. At the completion of a project, the Developer will have lead based paint testing completed to ensure the threat of lead based paint has been mitigated. The Housing Authority of South Bend maintained a Section 8 Landlord Assistance Program in which any CAPER 36 OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.09/30/2021)