Dollar House Program Overview

View Guidelines*
View Application*

To address the negative effects of vacant and abandoned properties the City of South Bend established the Dollar House Program.  Working in partnership with neighborhood-based Community Development Corporations the City acquires, completes selective repairs, and conveys the property to a lottery winner for $1.00.  The new owner will be provided a list of repairs, with bid specifications, that are required to be completed within a year of ownership.  The bid specifications are designed to ensure that the renovated home will be an asset to the neighborhood and community.

Some of the repair items may be completed through sweat equity, while other items -like plumbing and electrical- will have to be done by a licensed professional.  Or, if the new owner chooses to do so, all of the work may be contracted out.  In order to ensure that the new owner has the resources to carry out the needed repairs, they must provide a Pre-approval Loan Letter or verification of cash resources equal to or greater than the estimated renovation cost for the properties they are applying for through the lottery.   

For more detailed information about this program download the Program Guidelines.*

Available Properties

 The following properties will be available in the first lottery of this program, tentatively scheduled for the end of April, 2008.  If you are interested in receiving bid specifications for any of the available properties, please contact the Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc. at 574.232.9182 or South Bend Heritage Foundation / Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization at 574.289.1066 ext 206. 

An open house will be conducted for Lottery Number 1 houses on Saturday, March 29, 2008.

Please note that any initial selective repairs to be completed by the community development corporations, prior to the lottery, are not reflected in the following photos.

1201 Campeau
Partnering agency Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization

Estimated Rehabilitation Cost: $83,105.00
Open House Time: 1 to 3 PM

1313 Bissell*
Partnering agency Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization

Estimated Rehabilitation Cost: $88,055.00
Open House Time: 1 to 3 PM
*Tentative House

701 E. Pennsylvania
Wegner Homestead
Historic Landmark
Partnering agency Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization


Estimated Rehabilitation Cost: $92,070
Open House Time: 10 AM to 12 PM

923 W. Colfax
Partnering agency South Bend Heritage Foundation


Estimated Rehabilitation Cost: $99,055
Open House Time: 10 AM to 12 PM

510 Lindsey
Partnering agency Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc.

Estimated Rehabilitation Cost:  $54,512
Open House Time:  10 AM to 12 PM

718 Van Buren
Partnering agency Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc.

Estimated Rehabilitation Cost:  $64,359
Open House Time:  10 AM to 12 PM

Application & Guidelines

Download the Dollar House Program Application*
Download the Dollar House Guidelines*

* Acrobat Reader Required.

Community Development
224 W. Jefferson Boulevard • Suite 100
South Bend, IN  46601
574.235.9475 • Fax: 574.235.9697