By Vincent Bradshaw and Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern
In February 2003, the Evanston City Council took an early step toward addressing what it termed an “affordable housing challenge” by forming an Inclusionary Housing Task Force.
Since then the council has tossed around countless ideas, studied methods used in other cities, held discussions with community activist groups and encouraged developers to pursue affordable housing opportunities.
The City Council knows what it wants – the opportunity to reopen the housing market to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford Evanston homes. It’s just trying to decide how to do it.
An amended inclusionary housing ordinance, which has changed several times since it was first put forth almost a year and a half ago, will be reviewed again at tonight’s Evanston Planning and Development Committee meeting.
The latest revision would give incentives for building in Evanston, such as reducing the number of on-site parking lots by one and increasing the height and density allotments beyond what the zoning district normally would allow.
Aldermen on the committee maintain that until all necessary research has been done, the issue will not be approved.
Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) said the council has been seeking recommendations from internal agencies and other cities in order to make an informed decision.
“It’s only been a year since I’ve been on the council, and I don’t think that’s a lot of time to discuss something as important as this,” Holmes said. “I have no idea if it’s going to pass or not, (but) I certainly hope it will. I certainly support it.”
The proposal, which recognizes “a current lack of … affordable ownership opportunities in Evanston,” would require developers of new residential projects with 25 or more units to set aside a percentage of units to be affordable to families earning less than 100 percent of Evanston’s median family income.
In order for a unit to be labeled affordable, the cost must not exceed 33 percent of the gross income for all adults living in a unit. Ten percent of the building’s units must be affordable under the proposal.
In the current proposal, 75 percent of the affordable units must be affordable for those earning less than 100 percent of the median, while the remaining 25 percent will be priced to be affordable to those earning 70 percent or less.
Initial talks also included an option that would allow developers to pay into a separate fund for the construction of off-site affordable housing.
Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) said that after almost two years of debate, it is time for action from the council. He said he is happy to finally see that some aldermen are supporting the ordinance.
“Unless we are enthusiastic in our pursuit of housing policy, people in lower economic status are not going to be able to find housing that is affordable to them in Evanston,” Moran said.
At today’s meeting, the council also will review a proposal to sign on to the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. If the council agrees to the plan, it will commit to the Kyoto Protocol, which outlines plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of global warming.
Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected] and Matt Presser at [email protected].
