South Bend Councilmembers propose reshaping Housing Authority

UPDATE: The proposal to reshape the Housing Authority by allowing the common council to vote in half of the members failed in committee. Monday afternoon, city attorney Bob Palmer confirmed changing the process violates state code. The mayor will maintain sole power in appointing members of the Housing Authority. The bill was tabled indefinitely. 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - South Bend Common Councilmembers Lori Hamann and Henry Davis Jr. aim to re-shape the process of how the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners is appointed. 

In the past, all six commissioners of the Housing Authority have been appointed by the mayor. 

However, Hamann and Davis Jr., in a joint written statement, say the mayor has no authority, according to the Municipal Code, to do so. 

Hamann and Davis Jr. want this decision to be shared with the common council. 

"The proposed ordinance provides for the Mayor and the South Bend Common Council to each appoint three commissioners," they wrote. 

According to their proposal, they require that all commissioners be residents of South Bend and two of the six commissioners must be residents of Housing Authority properties. 

This proposed ordinance has been forwarded to the Residential Neighborhoods Standing Committee and will be discussed on December 11.