HomeMy WebLinkAboutBill No. 22-17 Affordable Housing Resolution ors°uTH B��d Cityof South Bend
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441 County-City Building• 227 W.Jellerson Blvd
x 1865 x South Buid, Indiana 46601
Filed in Cfr•�rk's Office
Sharon L. McBride March 23, 2022 MAR ��
President
Sheila Niezgodski D�V' q V.
Vice President South Bend Common Council CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND, IN
Canneth Lee 41h Floor, County-City Building
Ch�urperson, Conlniktee South Bend, IN 46601
ol-the Whole
Re: A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY
Camieth 1,ce OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, CALLING FOR THE
First District COOPERATIONOF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, THE SOUTH
Henry Davis,Jr. BEND HOUSING AUTHORITY AND DEVELOPERS TO CREATE,
Second District FUND AND IMPLEMENT AN INITIATIVE TO REMOVE
BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTH BEND
Sharon L. McBride
'14urd District Dear Council Members:
Troy Warner On April 26, 2021,this Council passed a resolution calling for a recommitment to
Fourth District the partnership between the City and the Housing Authority of South Bend to work
Eli Way: together to create and implement an affordable housing plan for the City. Since that
Filth District time,the Housing Authority has taken several actions with respect to Rabbi
Shulman apartments together with the Monroe Circle Apartments,many of
Sheila Niezgodski which some Council members learned about only after the fact and through
Sixth District the media.
Karen L. White This proposed resolution emphasizes the need to create,implement and fund an
At Large affordable housing initiative for South Bend through the cooperation of the Council,
Rachel Tomas Morgan the City,the Housing Authority and the Common Council. The resolution notes that
At Large in order for the partnership referred to in the April 28,2021,to work both
effectively and efficiently,must be open,honest and transparent.
Lori K Hammin
At Large We ask that this resolution be scheduled for discussion by the Residential
Neighborhoods Standing Committee at its March 28,2022,meeting and later that
evening at the full Council meeting.
Thank you for your consideration.
(574) 235-9321• Fax(574) 235 9173•TDD (571) 235.5567 • filth://«««.southbcndin.gov
TH 8 City of South Bend
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PEACE;
Common Council
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I I I Cotunty-City Building • 227 W.Jeffcrson l;lr-cl
1865 r South Bcnd, Indiana-46601
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Sincerely yours,
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Henry Davis, Jr., 2nd District
Lori K. Ha ann, At- Large
(574) 235-9321• Fax(574) 235-9173 TDD (.574) 235-5567 • littp://www.soutlibeudin.gov
Filed in Clerk's Office
BILL NO. 22-17 MAR 2 3 '102z
RESOLUTION NO. 0 A W M:DNS
C12 CLERK SOUTH BEND.
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,CALLING
FOR THE COOPERATION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND,THE SOUTH BEND HOUSING AUTHORITY
AND DEVELOPERS TO CREATE,FUND AND IMPLEMENT AN INITIATIVE TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTH BEND
G," on April 26, 2021, the South Bend Common Council passed a resolution calling for a
recommitment to the partnership between the City of South Bend and the Housing Authority of South Bend to
work together to create and implement an affordable housing plan for low-income residents of South Bend; and
6 , on September 28, 2021, the South Bend Housing Authority gave an update to the South Bend
community, indicating that the Housing Authority was, at that time, seeking proposals from developers to
demolish and replace the Rabbi Shulman apartments together with the Monroe Circle Apartments; and
the Housing Authority, at that time, said that replacement buildings would be a"reposition", i.e.,
change from public housing to a different type of affordable housing; and
the Housing Authority has phased out many of the residents of these two complexes,but fully
intends to "bring them back into the new buildings" after they are finished; and
C it was reported in February 2022 that the Housing Authority was partnering with developers
McCormick, Baron, and Salazar to host meetings with the residents to determine the future layout of the
complexes; and
6)6" some members of the Common Council learned about these transactions only through media
accounts, and not through any updates or other reports from the Housing Authority; and
W" in order to work both effectively and efficiently, the partnership referred to in the September 28,
2021,resolution must be open, honest and transparent; and
under federal and state legislation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, additional funding
for affordable housing has been made available to local government entities, with more funding still to come;
and
6 ate,the need for affordable housing is now greater than ever before generally due to the COVID-19
pandemic, but also, more specifically, due to the need to relocate the residents of the Rabbi Shulman Plaza and
Monroe Circle Apartments; and
the solution to the affordable housing crisis does not rest alone with the Housing Authority, but
requires the cooperation of developers and the City of South Bend to remove the barriers to building affordable
housing in our neighborhoods; and
CA",the current unique circumstances of increased need and additional availability of resources
mandates the recommitment of the City of South Bend, the HASB, and developers to work together to not only
create, but to implement, a housing plan for the City that is "safe, desirable, and affordable with superior
services" for residents; and
6 ,simply recommitting to work together and cooperating is not sufficient; the City must earmark
funds to eliminate the barriers to affordable housing wherever those barriers exist.
Section I. The South Bend Common Council hereby commits to working with the South Bend
Housing Authority, the City Administration and developers to remove barriers to create and implement an
affordable housing initiative.
Section II. The South Bend Common Council urges the City Administration to ear mark funds from
whatever sources available to eliminate barriers to safe, desirable, and affordable housing.
Section III. Such a plan will benefit not only the residents of that housing, but also all other residents
in the City of South Bend.
Sharon McBride, President
South Bend Common Council