South Bend neighbors complain of trash, squatters before council members

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A small group of South Bend neighbors aired their grievances Wednesday before members of the Common Council, at a neighborhood meeting called by Karen White, chair of the residential neighborhoods committee.

"The neighbors had an opportunity to come and be heard and to share their concerns," White said. "I saw the continuity in regards to their concerns."

White is addressing the same issue ABC57 has been reporting, dumping and trash on South Bend's streets.

"Obviously, the other side of town's streets are real clean and neat. But when you take a leak on the other side of town, it's not. Ask the question, 'Why?'" said one neighbor. "I pay taxpayers money just like everybody else, and I want to have services, and I want to live in a neighborhood that's nice."

An abundance of vacant properties and rentals can help exacerbate the trash issues, but some neighbors lamented another contributing factor: homelessness and, particularly, squatters.

"We have three individuals who are squatting there," one neighbor said. "They've been terrorizing us for four years. And nothing's been done."

Two councilmembers apologized tonight on behalf of the city for what residents say they're dealing with!

"I want to say on behalf of the council as its president, I'm sorry to hear all of these stories and to see what has happened in our community, and we want it better," Canneth Lee said.

Council seems ready to take on the issue, workshopping solutions like city bus rides or mandatory monthly reports from the neighborhood services and enforcement department. White said action steps will include looking at the city ordinances to possibly make them stronger.

"We cannot continue to have meetings, and all you hear is talk. People are tired. They want to get help, and they're looking to us to bring about change in their neighborhoods."

No one from the city's neighborhood services and enforcement department attended Wednesday's meeting.

The city depends on reports from residents; it doesn't currently do code enforcement patrols. Issues can be called in at 311.