Community Development Corporations are not-for-profit organizations that work to improve an area through economic and real estate development. South Bend has several active CDCs including:
- Near Northwest Neighborhood Organization
- Housing Development Corporation
- South Bend Heritage Foundation
These groups manage affordable rental units, publish neighborhood newsletters and work on special projects such as the adaptation of the former South Bend Natatorium into a Civil Rights Museum.
They also support programs to help residents become homeowners. One group buys, renovates and sells homes at low cost to people who agree to live in the house for a period of years. Another supports the REWARD program, which encourages home ownership through a combination of education and a down payment assistance grant of up to $1,000.