By Vincent Bradshaw and Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern
The Planning and Development Committee identified at least one major problem with the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that passed less than one month ago: It is against the law.
The ordinance violates federal and state laws because it does not require developers to include affordable housing in the compound, said Herbert Hill of the city’s legal staff. Hill recommended that aldermen adopt the amendments proposed by Alds. Anjana Hansen (9th) and Edmund Moran (6th).
The amendments to the ordinance would allow developers to choose between making some of their housing stock available for low-income families and paying a fee in-lieu-of providing these homes. Similar provisions were removed from the ordinance before it passed at the Oct. 23 meeting.
“Our discussion along the way has been about including and not excluding,” she said. “I felt we were excluding people with this ordinance.”
Moran said he supported Hansen’s ideas, but he added that developers should be required to make at least 50 percent of their stock for affordable homes. Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd), however, said she thought that more families could be helped by distributing funds directly.
Including affordable units is a better option because the rent itself is decreased while those who receive funds still have to make large payments, Moran said.
He also suggested that the affordable homes be similar to the regularly priced property so that low-income residents could not be easily identified.
“Even if it is the same quality, you’re still paying less for that unit,” said Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th). “And I don’t know if I would want to have my kids in that environment.”
The committee approved amendments that will require developers to devote 10 percent of the entire housing stock for affordable housing. Thirty percent of that number must be on site, and developers will be able to request a waiver if they will face financial burdens by meeting requirements. The council voted 5-4 to introduce the amendments which will be up for approval at the next City Council meeting.
During the City Council meeting, two Evanston residents spoke about the proposed affordable housing referendum that was rejected by Evanston voters during last week’s elections.
The referendum, which would have increased the city’s real estate transfer tax by 20 percent to help fund affordable housing initiatives, failed by only 760 votes, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Web site.
Evanston resident Francis Seidner said the transfer tax referendum did “amazingly well” considering there was no real plan for the referendum, “just the prospect of an increased tax.”
At the end of the meeting, four aldermen spoke on the referendum issue.
“I am of the spirit that the referendum failed only because we didn’t have enough time to educate the community about this,” said Jean-Baptiste. “I hope that next election we can put this back on the ballot.”
Aldermen also discussed the city’s purchase of three surveillance cameras – two for the Evanston Police Department and one for Evanston Township High School. The purchase was approved after a 7-2 vote, with Jean-Baptiste and Bernstein opposed.
Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) mentioned how she would support an increase in football ticket taxes, due to damage experienced in her ward – which includes Ryan Field – after Saturday’s football game.
“Some of the neighbors were physically threatened, property was damaged, garage was strewn,” she said.
Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected] and Matt Presser at [email protected].
