Fort Wayne, South Bend get funding to fight blight

INDIANAPOLIS - The city of Fort Wayne has been awarded $4.7 million and South Bend $1.6 million to help eliminate blighted and abandoned homes.

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann announced the awards Thursday from the Blight Elimination Program of Indiana's Hardest Hit Fund. The two northern Indiana cities were the successful applicants in the second of six rounds of funding that will make $75 million available for blight elimination to reduce foreclosures and stabilize property values. In the first round, Gary, Indianapolis, East Chicago, Hammond and the city of Lawrence in Marion County received money.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority estimates about 4,000 blighted or abandoned homes in Indiana will be eliminated through the Blight Elimination Program. The state has an estimated 50,000 such homes.