Affordable Housing: Questions & Answers
Affordable housing – what is it?
Simply stated, the concept of “affordable housing” rests on the assumption that housing should not cost more than thirty percent (30%) of a family’s gross income. Families that pay more than 30% of their income for housing (principle, interest, taxes and insurance for owners and rental costs for renters) are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. Housing costs at or below 30% of income would be “affordable.”
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/affordablehousing/
Does the League of Women Voters have a position on affordable housing?
The League of Women Voters (LWV) policy since the 1980’s has been to support standards of meeting minimum human needs including shelter. The League supports policies that, among other things, give a variety of incentives to local jurisdictions to encourage them to provide within their boundaries an adequate supply of decent housing for low and moderate income groups.
http://forum.lwv.org/member-resources/book/public-policy-positions
What is Village of Wilmette’s policy on affordable housing?
According to the 2004 Comprehensive Plan of the Village, “It is the longstanding policy of the Village of Wilmette (“Village”) to provide affordable housing options so persons with moderate incomes can enjoy the benefits of living in our community, and so our residents can enjoy the benefits of a community with economic diversity. This policy has been implemented, with active Village support or sponsorship, as opportunities have occurred over the past quarter century.”
“The Village has been careful to balance the worthy objectives of this policy against other important policies, such as the policy favoring the maintenance of the Village’s single-family-home character, and the policy favoring land use re-development consistent with the capacity of infrastructure. The crux of this Plan is the Village’s ongoing commitment to a pro- active but reasoned approach to providing additional affordable housing.”
https://www.wilmette.com/download/documents/Housing_AffordableHousingPlan.pdf
What is the affordable housing proposal for 1925 Wilmette Avenue? (former American Legion Hall)
The original PUD Preliminary Plan Application was submitted by Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) in October, 2016. Supplemental materials to this application were submitted in October, 2017. The complete PUD Preliminary Plan Application from HODC can be viewed on the Village of Wilmette’s website here:
https://www.wilmette.com/2017/10/30/8587/
What is a PUD?
A PUD, or planned unit development, is a municipal, regulatory process for projects that require more than one type of relief or complex projects. The PUD process is intended to allow flexibility in the development of land since it is difficult for any zoning code to account for every conceivable type of development. In Wilmette, the PUD process combines several Village entities: the Zoning Board of Appeals (variation and special use), the Plan Commission (subdivision, consolidation and rezoning) and the Appearance Review Commission (appearance certificate, sign and landscape variations) into one process.
In Wilmette, a PUD proposal is heard by the Plan Commission as a Special Use. Final approval of a PUD rests with the Village Board. For relief to be granted in the PUD process, some form of public benefit is typically required.
In order to learn more about the PUD process in Wilmette, the LWV-W submitted questions about the PUD process and the proposal to the Village of Wilmette, and the Village was kind enough to provide written responses. Those questions and answers can be found here:
http://www.lwvwilmette.org/uploads/1/0/5/5/105539455/lwvw_and_vofw_pud_questions_an d_answers.pdf
What happens next with the Affordable Housing Proposal from HODC?
The PUD request from HODC has tentatively been scheduled for a hearing with the Plan Commission on Tuesday January 16, 2018. The Village of Wilmette Plan Commission provides guidance to the Wilmette Village Board on issues related to land use and development. More information on the role of the Plan Commission can be found here:
https://www.wilmette.com/government/boards-commissions/plan-commission/
How can I learn more? Understand Illinois’ Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act here
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2477&ChapterID=29
To learn about HODC, Housing Opportunity Development Corporation click here:
http://hodc.org
Simply stated, the concept of “affordable housing” rests on the assumption that housing should not cost more than thirty percent (30%) of a family’s gross income. Families that pay more than 30% of their income for housing (principle, interest, taxes and insurance for owners and rental costs for renters) are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. Housing costs at or below 30% of income would be “affordable.”
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/affordablehousing/
Does the League of Women Voters have a position on affordable housing?
The League of Women Voters (LWV) policy since the 1980’s has been to support standards of meeting minimum human needs including shelter. The League supports policies that, among other things, give a variety of incentives to local jurisdictions to encourage them to provide within their boundaries an adequate supply of decent housing for low and moderate income groups.
http://forum.lwv.org/member-resources/book/public-policy-positions
What is Village of Wilmette’s policy on affordable housing?
According to the 2004 Comprehensive Plan of the Village, “It is the longstanding policy of the Village of Wilmette (“Village”) to provide affordable housing options so persons with moderate incomes can enjoy the benefits of living in our community, and so our residents can enjoy the benefits of a community with economic diversity. This policy has been implemented, with active Village support or sponsorship, as opportunities have occurred over the past quarter century.”
“The Village has been careful to balance the worthy objectives of this policy against other important policies, such as the policy favoring the maintenance of the Village’s single-family-home character, and the policy favoring land use re-development consistent with the capacity of infrastructure. The crux of this Plan is the Village’s ongoing commitment to a pro- active but reasoned approach to providing additional affordable housing.”
https://www.wilmette.com/download/documents/Housing_AffordableHousingPlan.pdf
What is the affordable housing proposal for 1925 Wilmette Avenue? (former American Legion Hall)
The original PUD Preliminary Plan Application was submitted by Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) in October, 2016. Supplemental materials to this application were submitted in October, 2017. The complete PUD Preliminary Plan Application from HODC can be viewed on the Village of Wilmette’s website here:
https://www.wilmette.com/2017/10/30/8587/
What is a PUD?
A PUD, or planned unit development, is a municipal, regulatory process for projects that require more than one type of relief or complex projects. The PUD process is intended to allow flexibility in the development of land since it is difficult for any zoning code to account for every conceivable type of development. In Wilmette, the PUD process combines several Village entities: the Zoning Board of Appeals (variation and special use), the Plan Commission (subdivision, consolidation and rezoning) and the Appearance Review Commission (appearance certificate, sign and landscape variations) into one process.
In Wilmette, a PUD proposal is heard by the Plan Commission as a Special Use. Final approval of a PUD rests with the Village Board. For relief to be granted in the PUD process, some form of public benefit is typically required.
In order to learn more about the PUD process in Wilmette, the LWV-W submitted questions about the PUD process and the proposal to the Village of Wilmette, and the Village was kind enough to provide written responses. Those questions and answers can be found here:
http://www.lwvwilmette.org/uploads/1/0/5/5/105539455/lwvw_and_vofw_pud_questions_an d_answers.pdf
What happens next with the Affordable Housing Proposal from HODC?
The PUD request from HODC has tentatively been scheduled for a hearing with the Plan Commission on Tuesday January 16, 2018. The Village of Wilmette Plan Commission provides guidance to the Wilmette Village Board on issues related to land use and development. More information on the role of the Plan Commission can be found here:
https://www.wilmette.com/government/boards-commissions/plan-commission/
How can I learn more? Understand Illinois’ Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act here
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2477&ChapterID=29
To learn about HODC, Housing Opportunity Development Corporation click here:
http://hodc.org
PUD Process: Questions and Answers, March 6, 2016
The League submitted questions about the PUD process and the proposal to the Village of Wilmette, and the Village was kind enough to provide written responses.Click here to read the Questions and Answers.
Planned Unit Development Proposed for 1925 Wilmette Ave.
The Housing Development Opportunities Corporation (HODC) filed a preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD) application with the Village on October 20, 2016 for the development of a 16-unit apartment building. The application materials can be viewed on the Village Website.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN WILMETTE
This video was first released on May 15, 2017. Any changes since the release date to the specific proposal mentioned would not be reflected.
This video was first released on May 15, 2017. Any changes since the release date to the specific proposal mentioned would not be reflected.
Click here to read the Summary of the 1925 Wilmette Avenue – Cleland Place Proposal