As new housing developments come into South Bend, advocates say there’s still a need for affordable and subsidized housing.
Karen West with Transformation Ministries raised the issue during Thursday’s housing talk hosted by the REAL Enrichment Center. "That’s what a lot of my families need," West said. "They can’t afford many of the places that they stay in, and they do resort to really bad places."
South Bend’s homeless coordinator Carl Hetler said the city tries to advocate for affordable housing, even as new market-rate and luxury developments come online. He ticked off a list of projects that are underway.
Diamond View Apartments near Four Winds Field is scheduled to open in December. It will offer a sliding scale for certain units’ rent, based on income.
"That’s 60 units," Hetler explained. "Some of those will be for LOGAN Center clients, and others will be done through the housing authority. But the plan is after that opens to then build 90 more units on the Lafayette side."
Hetler said the city also plans to keep affordable housing, as it redevelops the Rabbi Shulman and Monroe Circle apartments. “We are committed to making sure all 140 units of low-income housing that we’ve lost there are rebuilt by the housing authority with, also, market rate and senior living and other projects, too,” Hetler added.
And after years of discussions, Hetler said the city hopes Devereaux Peters’ Monreaux development will break ground soon. It would bring about 50 affordable units to Monroe and Michigan.
