08-02-17 Community Relations - Laserfiche WebLink

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most recent Alice Report, make less than$46,000 a year. That is less than what is needed to survive on a basic household budget. The time has come for us to have a real conversation about what life is like for many residents in our community. We have often said South Bend is the tale of two (2) cities. Whether it be African-Americans, people with disabilities or people of other races or ethnicities that live at or below the poverty line,they are living a very different experience than what is promoted in the popular media. In the spirit of inclusion, we must address these issues. The disparity particularly for black people in South Bend is striking. The poverty rate for the City is roughly twenty-eight percent (28%) but fifty-six percent (56%) of black South Bend residents live at or below the poverty line. African-Americans constitute only twenty-seven percent (27%) of South Bend's general population but account for forty-two percent (42%) of all persons living in poverty. Recently the Mayor announced the unemployment rate overall was roughly three point two percent(3.2%). The unemployment rate for African- Americans in South Bend hovers roughly around twenty percent(20%). Income inequality in our community directly effects the ability of people to save the money to afford critical repairs to their home. Our Committee met in May and we were introduced to a housing proposal that would address the problem of having hundreds of vacant lots left in the west side neighborhoods after the demolition of homes in the one thousand (1,000) houses in one thousand(1,000) days initiative. The proposal was called one hundred (100)houses in five hundred (5 00) days. It had a focus on new construction and at that meeting, the message from the community was clear. Along with new construction, there must be a program for assistance with home repair. With this in mind,the initiative has been upgraded to include an aggressive plan to address the existing homes around every new home that is to be constructed. With that change, we have also changed the name to one hundred (100) homes and five hundred(5 00) families with the goal to rehabilitate homes. This will help ensure revitalization comes to the west side neighborhoods and current homeowners will be able to stay in their homes. Cities all across the country are going through revitalization. We all believe in investment in the government, but few cities have been able to avoid gentrification. Gentrification is the revitalization and introduction of new development that causes the pushing out of existing residents that cannot afford the new,trendy, and high-end homes. There is an ever-growing number of voices demanding development without displacement. The City of South Bend has committed to development without displacement but if we are not careful, we are doomed to repeat the cycle that has already come to the south west side of the City. Committee Chair Williams-Preston went on, On page forty-eight(48) of the Westside-Main Street Plan, in section thirteen(13) called `Acquire and Consolidate Vacant Parcels,' the City has proposed a five (5) step program. The first step is to target areas of high-vacancy. The second step is to acquire and hold properties until consolidation is complete. The third step is the purchasing of occupied homes in the target area or to provide alternatives to relocate residents to other existing homes. The forth step is to demolish remaining structures. The fifth step is to issue a request for proposal for private development of consolidated properties. In my opinion,that sounds like development with displacement. To be fair, this plan was crafted four(4) years ago. Since its publishing,we have called on the Administration to review policies and practices that would cause the pushing out of current residents of the west side. There has been some movement with this, but we must organize to educate residents on what is coming and mobilize them to take control of neighborhood development. The most pressing and time-sensitive issue related to fighting gentrification on the west side is the upcoming tax sale. She repeated her 3