SOUTH BEND — A plan to combat vacant homes around South Bend means you could soon buy an abandoned house for $1. Open houses this weekend mark the beginning of the city's Dollar House program.

The city is selling six homes for $1 a piece but buyers must be able to show they can afford necessary repairs and renovations to the home.

The city chose houses in specific areas where community development agencies are already working to improve neighborhoods.

"Hopefully we'll reduce crime, we'll increase property values, we'll bring families back into the neighborhood," said South Bend Heritage Fund Director Phil Byrd.

Those are some big goals for rundown houses and neighborhoods that have been vacant for 5 or 10 years.

The catch to buying a home for $1 is buyers must be able to provide tens of thousands of additional money in labor and repairs.

Byrd told WSBT it will take a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of sweat equity and a lot of finances to bring the homes to the standard of homes closer to the downtown area.

The city selected this year's six Dollar House homes based on their location and special qualities such as historical wood work.

"[Some of the homes have] great built-in book cases, columns, bureaus, buffets and that kind of thing," said Near Northwest Neighborhood Association Executive Director Karen Ainsley. "Things that you'd pay thousands and thousands of dollars to get a new house today."

Ainsley pointed out two homes sitting side by side in the 500 block of Lindsey Street. Both are vacant. One is up for sale through the Dollar House Program. The Near Northwest Neighborhood Association already fixed the other one up, showing just how much of a difference a transformation can make.

Ainsley said rehabilitating the homes creates another level of stability for the neighborhoods.

The city is hosting an open house for the Dollar Houses this Saturday March 29 from 10 a.m. - noon and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Find addresses and see pictures.

Download application (pdf)

Read Dollar House Program guidelines (pdf)

Applications are due Friday April 4.

Over a few years, the city expects to reduce the number of abandoned houses by 72 percent.