St. Joseph County Housing Consortium

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FY 2025-2029 Five-Year Consolidated Plan City of South Bend, IN Are any populations/household types more affected than others by these problems? According to the CHAS data, single-person households, such as the elderly and disabled and Black or African American households, all tend to be the most cost burdened in their housing in St. Joseph County. They are the most affected by the lack of affordable,accessible housing.The elderly and disabled are often on fixed or limited incomes.The lack of affordable housing that is decent,safe,sound,and accessible forces them into housing that does not meet these standards. Many of the County's populations that are disproportionately affected by housing problems are concentrated in the City of South Bend. Other groups affected by the lack of affordable housing are the homeless and persons at-risk of becoming homeless, including persons who are victims of domestic violence. Much of that population, which is at- risk of becoming homeless,face a housing cost burden problem,and would benefit from emergency housing assistance for rent, emergency rehabilitation work, and/or mortgage payments and utilities to help them avoid eviction or foreclosures.There are some short term assistance options available,but these are scarce and hard to come by, especially if it is needed by the same person more than once. People transitioning from shelter care, prison, or a health care facility are also affected by the cost burden housing problem, particularly when trying to secure a source of income to maintain housing. Describe the characteristics and needs of Low-income individuals and families with children (especially extremely low-income) who are currently housed but are at imminent risk of either residing in shelters or becoming unsheltered 91.205(c)/91.305(c)). Also discuss the needs of formerly homeless families and individuals who are receiving rapid re-housing assistance and are nearing the termination of that assistance According to the area homeless service providers,characteristics and needs of both low-income individuals and families with children who receive services in St.Joseph County are as follows: Individuals: Mental Health issues and criminal histories (including sex offense) severely limit job opportunities; lack of sustainable living wages and skills for available jobs; a lack of transportation; a lack of quality affordable medical care; substance abuse issues; and those with evictions on their records that could increase the likelihood of later evictions. Families with Children: Single mothers with an average of 2.5 children; no means of transportation; lack of affordable childcare; a lack of education; a lack of job skills; unemployed, or underemployed in a low paying job that cannot sustain a family with one income;a lack of quality affordable medical care;substance abuse issues; and those with previous evictions on their records that increase the likelihood of later evictions. Formerly Homeless Individuals / Families Receiving Rapid Re-Housing Assistance Nearing Termination: The timeframe of assistance is not always long enough; more assistance is required. The Indiana Balance of State CoC encourages formerly homeless individuals to contribute to the CoC decision- making process to develop strategies to target this group. There is a need to increase and target funding for eviction prevention programs and homeless prevention programs. OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.07/31/2025) 67