The search for affordable housing
Monday, Jul 29, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rebecca Anzel…
Lack of affordable housing affects many facets of family life — access to education and health care, for example — for Illinoisans throughout the state, Sen. Mattie Hunter and Rep. Delia Ramirez say.
It’s a truth the Chicago Democrats said they each experienced before their time in office. Each has a background in social service work — Hunter as a community organizer who grew up in public housing and Ramirez as director of a community social service agency.
Illinois’ affordable housing program received $200 million through the state’s first capital plan in 10 years, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in late June. Other investments totaling about $129 million are included elsewhere in the budget.
And while Hunter and Ramirez said that money will make a “significant difference,” they added it will take $1 billion to properly address the infrastructure need in Illinois.
* Meanwhile…
Tucked on the outer edges of southern Cook County, suburban Park Forest was built to help answer a housing shortage in the 1940s as GIs flooded home from World War II. Before long, it became a model of suburban living, featuring enviable public schools and an attractive downtown shopping center anchored by a Marshall Field’s.
Today, the legacy department store is long gone. The high school, Rich East, is facing such low enrollment that it is being considered for closure. And, as of 2017, financially strapped homeowners were stuck with the second-highest property-tax rate in Cook County.
Among them is Ryan Dupée, who is being billed more than $3,800 in property taxes for a modest, ranch-style home he and his wife bought under foreclosure four years ago for just $25,000.
Affordable housing is about more than just rental or purchase costs.
* Speaking of…
After a spring spent focusing on possibly bringing a graduated income tax to the state, Illinois lawmakers will soon be turning their attention to the other big tax bill affecting the state’s residents, property taxes.
Specifically, they’ll be looking at ways the state can provide some relief to property taxpayers, even though property taxes themselves are imposed by local governments and the revenue from them finances local government operations. […]
“I’ll hold out optimism that this might come up with some good suggestions on property tax reform, but since I’ve been in the General Assembly the last few years, the issue around property taxes seems to be something that we continue to like to talk about, but we really don’t take a lot of legitimate action on,” said Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, a Republican appointee to the task force.
* Related…
* Chicago’s 3 new apartment-library developments offer fresh take on mixed-use buildings: At each site, the library and residential units maintain separate entrances — and building configurations vary — but the premise is consistent: A neighborhood resource anchored to affordable housing.
* Affordable housing in thriving Naperville is elusive. This mother of twins knows all too well.
* Aldermen seek to address affordable housing, segregation: A group of about 20 aldermen is reintroducing a series of ordinances aimed at increasing affordable housing in Chicago—in some cases, tripling the number of affordable units developers would have to build.
* City Wants To Change Controversial Affordable Housing Ordinance, But Agreement Is Hard To Find
Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/affordable-housing/city-wants-to-change-controversial-affordable-housing-ordinance-but-agreement-is-hard-to-find-100040?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser
* Lincoln Yards Developer Opens Fleet Fields, The First Small Piece Of $6 Billion Megaproject: Sterling Bay doubled its commitment to on-site affordable housing earlier this year, agreeing to build 600 units within Lincoln Yards, instead of 300, just ahead of a key Zoning Committee vote on the project in March.
* Chicago: a tale of seven cities: The Far South Side lost nearly 100,000 people between 2000 and 2010 and is on track to lose another 80,000 by the end of this decade. The continuing decline offsets gains elsewhere in the city and explains why Chicago’s population has fallen the past few years.
- Just Me - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 1:42 pm:
Every time a unit of local government loses population they tend to raise property taxes to make up the difference in lost tax revenue. They should instead start asking WHY they are losing population.
(Hint: high property taxes is a big reason.)
- Fly like an eagle - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 1:42 pm:
In LA people rent can rent RV campers for less than the cost of apartments. While the renters are at work the owner maintains the camper and moves the camper so it won’t violate parking laws. He then sends the renter a text of the new address. It’s too bad we don’t have this here.
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/12/19/officials-see-emerging-economy-los-angeles-rvs-rented-out-homeless-people/
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 1:42 pm:
Does Chicago continue to ban mobile home parks?
Mobile homes can provide affordable housing. People could occupy them on a rent to own basis. That provides pride of ownership to people trying to move up.
- ItsMillerTime - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 1:53 pm:
@Last Bull Moose
Possibly, but unfortunately trailer parks can also be targeted by people hoping to squeeze money out of the people living there.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCC8fPQOaxU
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 2:00 pm:
Lots of towns claim they want affordable housing then let developers just pay a fee so they don’t have to build any.
Houses could be made cheaper but look to the city code requirements.
After World War Two is a good example. Look at Levitt Town. No suburban area would allow a simple 3 bedroom ranch built on a slab or a crawl space to be built now especial if no garage. Lot sizes could be shrunk and more density per acre but that will never happen
- Groucho - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 2:02 pm:
As a landlord who only raises rents in order to meet my costs (I generally only raise the rents of vacant units, never raising rents of renewing tenants), I will this year be raising all rents because of recent water bill and property tax increases. These taxes need to be considered during affordable housing discussions.
- RuralJewel - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 2:35 pm:
People tend to think of affordable housing as a low-income problem. But the reality is that it hits young families and middle class folks too. When we lack a robust and varied housing stock it makes it more difficult for new residents to move into a community. Young professionals can’t afford an apartment/condo or their first home. Young families end up unable to move into neighborhoods that have an aging population and need new blood. Local governments need to wake up and realize how this looming issue will affect them. We have to stop thinking about focusing on single family homes and look at the big picture of what a sustainable housing mix looks like. Because when folks are priced out of moving into communities everyone suffers.
Curbed.com “Hey, middle class, the housing crisis is coming doe you next” Patrick Sisson 06/11/19 https://www.curbed.com/platform/amp/2019/6/11/18661364/home-tuition-middle-class-housing-crisis
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 3:40 pm:
Stunning how in Chicago, under total control by the Democratic party for the past 75 years, sees property taxes, energy, water and garbage bills all sky rocket and then are stunned that there is an affordable housing crisis.
- RNUG - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 3:45 pm:
There is no one size or two sizes fits all solution. What kind of housing problem you have depends on where you fall in the socio-economic scale of things. And where you are geographically in the State.
Lack of a living wage doesn’t help. Crushing health insurance doesn’t help. Companies only hiring part time workers (so no benefits and small incomes) doesn’t help. Growing up in a culture of Section 8 housing and permanent welfare assistance doesn’t help. And yes, high property taxes are part of it.
Plus part of the problem is expectations. None of the young people I know want to buy a small starter home and gradually work up; they all want to start with a new McMansion on 5 acres in the country.
I do know buying is cheaper than renting. I do know there are first time home buyer and other loan assistance programs that can help. I know people can manage to cobble together ways to buy / pay for a house IF that is their priority. You can hit up parents / friends for a down payment. You can crowd source or fundraise a small down payment. You can work with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to get a start. Heck, my first house I ended up borrowing money from my realtor (effectively part of her commission on the deal) when the bank changed the down payment terms at the last minute.
And every town has a small supply of decent low cost housing if you are willing to do the legwork to find that housing. It may be in a older but still safe neighborhood or backwater that was bypassed in the rush to suburbia, or in a small overlooked commuter town … but it is there.
Compared to a lot of places, Illinois really does have some affordable housing outside of a few metropolitan areas. People who are trying should be able to find housing.
- 62656 - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 4:46 pm:
Lucky Pierre, things don’t get any better in Lake or DuPage County which have historically had Republican majorities in government. Rich’s post links to one about the affordable housing problem in Naperville & Naperville has a lot single family zoning also. Both Chicago & Naperville have most of their residential land area zoned detached housing only.
- Southwest Sider - Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 9:53 pm:
I am a landlord. I think there is plenty of affordable housing in Chicago. But it is mainly on the Southside, which many people (unfortunately) avoid. The best way to deal with affordable housing is with vouchers. The worst way is to enact rent control. Also not a fan of affordable housing requirements for new developments. That’s not the way it works.