26-09 Resolution Approving the Interlocal Agreement Between the City of South Bend, the County of St. Joseph, and the Michiana Area Council of Governments Establishing a Land Bank Pursuant to Indiana Code Section 36-7-38 et seq.

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�� SOUTH BEND I ELKHART REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP February 23, 2026 Filed in Clerk's Office St. Joseph County Council Mar 20, 2026 County-City Building 227 W Jefferson Blvd # 411 Bianca I iradu South Bend, IN 46601 city Clerk south 13cnd. IN Dear Members of the County Council, On behalf of the South Bend- Elkhart Regional Partnership, I write to express our strong support for the establishment of the Regional Land Bank and St. Joseph County's participation in it. This initiative represents a practical, data-informed, and fiscally responsible strategy to address one of the most persistent barriers to neighborhood vitality and regional competitiveness: vacant, abandoned, and distressed properties that remain stuck in the tax sale cycle. As you know, these properties are not simply idle parcels. They impose real and recurring costs on our community. The commissioned study by the Center for Community Progress estimates that a vacant or distressed property costs at least $3,000 per year in St. Joseph County in direct and indirect public expense. When multiplied across dozens, or hundreds, of parcels, this represents a significant and ongoing financial burden on taxpayers, local government, and surrounding neighborhoods. A land bank creates a structured and proven "offramp"for properties that have already cycled through code enforcement, tax sale, and other public processes but have failed to return to productive use. Rather than allowing these parcels to continue through delinquency and decline, the land bank will acquire, stabilize, and reposition them for redevelopment, often in partnership with responsible nonprofit housing developers and mission-aligned builders. This is not speculative policy. Land banks are a nationally recognized tool used to restore disinvested neighborhoods, strengthen the tax base, and reduce long-term public cost. It is a systematic, cost-effective approach that replaces an expensive annual liability with a one-time, strategic intervention. From a regional perspective, this effort directly aligns with the broader strategies our region has advanced through READI 1.0 and 2.0, housing investments, and quality-of-place initiatives. We have worked diligently to secure transformative state and philanthropic funding to support projects that increase housing supply, activate underutilized assets, and drive economic growth. Those investments are most impactful when we also address the underlying inventory of blighted and stalled properties that undermine private investment and neighborhood confidence. In short, we cannot credibly pursue regional talent attraction, workforce development, and private- sector growth while allowing visible disinvestment to persist unchecked. The land bank is a foundational tool that complements and protects the public and private dollars already being deployed across the region. Importantly, this initiative is supported by grant funding that provides five years of startup and operational support, significantly reducing near-term fiscal exposure. In addition, the grant includes 635 S. Lafayette Blvd., Suite 123, South Bend, IN 46601