South Bend offers free construction plans for infill/affordable housing

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The city of South Bend is launching a new neighborhood homes initiative that gives residents and developers construction plans for homes free of charge. The plans will save time and money for those building in the city.

Mayor James Mueller joined Caleb Bauer, the city's investment director, and other city leaders in the near northwest neighborhood on Monday to announce the initiative.

The construction plans would fit into the make up of local neighborhoods and fill gaps created by vacant lots.

“It would be free for any organizations or folks to use and that would hopefully bring down the cost by another few to several thousand on each whole unit. And so combined with the up to $20,000 credit we’ve talked about with the sewer and lateral policy with this you’re now looking at the upwards of $25,000 or so of that gap we’re closing with just these policies alone," Mayor Mueller said.

The initiative already kicked off with a construction of a duplex in the city’s near Northwest Neighborhood, something residents and developers are excited for.

“We develop housing in the near northwest neighborhood, and this is the type of infill housing that works best in the context of near northwest neighborhood,” said Kathy Schuth the Executive Director of the Near Northwest Neighborhood.

 “I’ve been living in this neighborhood for the last 25 years. I kind of watched it deteriorate a little bit more but then for the last decade I’ve watched it come back and it’s been really exciting to see that happen,” added Mike Keen lives in Near Northwest Neighborhood

City leaders hoping the plan encourages folks to reinvest in the south bend while also closing the affordable housing gap city-wide.

 “The only way to tackle housing affordability is to build more housing units and that includes single-family homes, duplexes, Triplexes and larger scale units as well. So, the more housing units that we can build the better,” said Mayor Mueller.

Click here for more information about the new initiative. 

Also in July, the city announced a sewer lateral program that would assist property owners with up to $20,000 in sewer costs for infill construction.

Click here for more information on the program.