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"Thousands of Illinois households
receive housing assistance through state programs," Blagojevich
said. Before this comprehensive plan was drafted, there was no way
to coordinate these efforts to make sure that our neediest residents
receive the help that they need."
The governor praised the Task Force on
Affordable Housing for completing its work of drafting a
comprehensive housing initiative with the goal of better addressing
the state's growing affordable housing needs. The 35-member task
force, which incorporated ideas from over 200 community and industry
experts, submitted a report to the governor and the General Assembly
titled "Building for Success: Illinois' Comprehensive Housing Plan,"
which includes over 80 recommendations geared toward six housing
priority populations: very low-income households and families;
low-income senior citizens; low-income people with disabilities;
homeless people and families and those at risk of becoming homeless;
low- and moderate-income families and people unable to find
affordable housing near jobs or transportation; and low-income
families and people living in existing affordable housing that is in
danger of becoming unaffordable.
"I thank the members of the Task
Force on Affordable Housing for their leadership, their hard work
and their ideas that made it possible to reform the way Illinois
addressees housing needs," the governor said. "Reform of state
government is one of my administration's top priorities, and this
plan makes the state and its agencies accountable for how money is
spent to help underserved populations. Low-income residents need
affordable housing, they need to live near their jobs and their
schools, and they need options. Folks need stable and affordable
housing in order to succeed -- and quality, affordable housing is
critical to helping hardworking people get ahead."
This multiyear plan was created by
the governor's Executive Order 2003-18, issued on Sept. 16, 2003,
and runs through 2008. The plan requires all state agencies to
report on their housing activities to the governor and the General
Assembly by April 1 of each year. The task force includes eight
Illinois state agency directors, including Kelly King Dibble,
executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority,
who chaired the group. Also on the task force is state Rep. Julie
Hamos, D-Evanston, the ranking legislator on the task force and
chair of the House of Representative's Housing and Urban Development
Committee.
"I commend Governor Blagojevich for
providing the leadership and vision necessary to create the task
force and to bring the brightest minds and leaders of affordable
housing issues together for common purpose," Dibble said. "I also
sincerely thank all the members for their dedication to developing a
plan that addresses the housing challenges faced each day by
Illinois' low-income and working families, senior citizens, and
residents with disabilities. We will continue our effort to find
ways to best meet the housing needs of the people of Illinois."
The plan focuses on caring for the
state's neediest residents, but it also recognizes housing as an
important tool to stimulate economic growth. In innovative fashion,
the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity are included in the plan, working with
employers who not only create jobs but also help employees find
decent, affordable housing. By including those two departments, the
task force incorporates housing into the infrastructure development
of the state, coordinating job growth, improvements in roads and
highways, and affordable housing. This coordination not only helps
workers and low-income families, but also helps Illinois businesses
stay competitive, since employers need workers who can afford their
housing and commute easily to work.
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State Rep. Julie Hamos, D-Evanston,
the ranking House member on the task force, applauded Gov.
Blagojevich "for making affordable housing a state priority." She
added, "Our work really has just begun. We must ensure that the
state acts on the goals listed in the plan and follows through on
its commitment to assist all its citizens to find a safe and secure
place to live."
The new, coordinated policy will
allow state agencies to work together around three housing themes:
affordability and choice, creation and preservation, and leadership.
Affordability and choice
Affordability in housing is critical
at a time when over 95 million Americans struggle to pay their rent
or mortgage or cannot afford essential home repairs, according to a
National Low Income Housing Coalition report. Gov. Blagojevich, the
state legislature and the members of the task force recognized the
urgent need of an adequate supply of affordable housing for citizens
of Illinois. The plan outlines a variety of housing options to serve
different family and individual housing needs. Various homeownership
programs and expansion of the Employer Assisted Housing Program are
all integrated and coordinated in the task force's plan to have the
greatest effect on families that are struggling to afford housing.
Creation
and preservation
To ensure affordability, the plan
calls for public and private investment in the preservation of
existing housing, in addition to the creation of new affordable
housing units. The goal is to bring down the costs of development,
reduce growing operations costs and assure the development of a
growing number of affordable housing options. The plan also helps
individuals and families receive long-term home ownership support,
including access to and synchronization of programs that help people
manage housing insurance, home repairs, health and safety
compliance, property taxes, and educational and financial programs.
Leadership
The plan also calls on the
leadership and guidance of policy-makers at all levels of government
to promote and envision housing as a fundamental piece of community
and economic health and to ensure that every group and area of the
state can fairly compete for resources, training and technical
assistance.
Copies of "Building for Success:
Illinois' Comprehensive Housing Plan" can be accessed through
www.ihda.org.
[News release from the
governor's office] |
