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The 2007 Comprehensive Housing Plan, "Affordable Housing
Dimensions," outlines the strategies and actions the State is
pursuing in 2007 to improve the range, quality, and quantity of
affordable housing options for Illinois residents, especially
underserved populations. It is also the focal point of the State's
efforts to improve coordination of housing resources among State
agencies, help more Illinois households afford their rent or
mortgage, and promote economic growth in communities throughout the
state. "Affordable housing is not just about putting roofs over
heads -- it's about making sure families still have enough left over
to pay the bills, afford health insurance, or cover other expenses.
This plan will help make sure that every dollar spent on housing is
used as efficiently as possible to help working families, seniors
and the disabled afford a place they can call their own," said Gov.
Blagojevich.
A Housing Production Plan makes up the core of the 2007 report
and details actions and funding for the priority populations.
Strategies proposed through the Comprehensive Housing Plans are
increasingly transforming Illinois housing by targeting the priority
populations that are significantly underserved.
"Governor Blagojevich is the first Illinois governor in history
to require the comprehensive coordination of the State's housing
programs. By pulling together the housing resources of different
state agencies, we are able to focus on the needs of various
sub-populations within the previously identified priority
populations. This is leading to a creative approach to financing and
building affordable housing," said DeShana Forney, executive
director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the
State's leading affordable housing agency.
In 2003, the Governor established the 35-member Housing Task
Force, chaired by the executive director of IHDA, who works closely
with over 16 state departments to assure the coordination of housing
programs. Task Force members include advocates, developers, lenders,
as well as state department directors and government agency
representatives.
"Affordable Housing Dimensions" builds upon the achievements of
the 2005 "Building for Success: Illinois' Comprehensive Housing
Plan" and the 2006 Plan, "On the Road to Success." In these plans,
the Governor required that housing programs and resources in the
Plan be targeted to the following 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.
The following initiatives are featured in the 2007 Plan:
(RHS Program): Provides subsidies that
reduce the cost of renting for extremely low-income households.
The Program is expected to generate more than $25 million to
help around 4,000 families during the first year afford their
rents starting early 2008, making it the nation's largest rental
assistance program.
Supportive Housing :
Offers housing options to those with health, income, disability
and other special needs, who can not live completely
independently. A working group of the Task Force will make
recommendations for increasing this type of housing.
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Housing
Preservation : Funds the rehabilitation or refinancing of
existing affordable housing at risk of being lost due to
deferred maintenance, expiring subsidies, or changes in local
housing markets. In 2007, the State will provide $100 million to
housing preservation initiatives serving approximately 885
low-income families and seniors in Illinois.
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Linking Service
Plans and Affordable Housing : Coordinates plans at different
agencies for reassessing and better addressing the housing needs
of persons with special needs. The plans touch on issues
including: the reduction of the number of people living in
institutions, better use of available Federal funds, the
importance of ties to community, enhanced services, greater
communication among providers, the need to promote program
participant involvement in decision-making, and more housing
stock designed to meet special needs populations.
"Supportive housing is the best tool we have to help people with
disabilities live as independently as possible, to the best of their
ability. The proposals in the Governor's Plan are exactly what it's
going to take to ensure we know who needs our help, where they are,
what they need, and how we can provide it to them," said State Rep.
Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), a prominent voice for affordable housing
in Illinois who also sits on the Governor's Housing Task Force.
Some of the State's ongoing activities discussed in the document
have begun to have a significant impact. The Illinois Department of
Public Health (IDPH) is now in phase four of the "Get The Lead Out
Program," which has already reduced lead-based paint hazards in 859
homes across the state. IDPH has contracted to abate 398 additional
homes in the next three years.
There are three Housing Principles that guide the State's
strategies and actions to increase the availability of affordable
housing for all in Illinois. The first principle, "Affordability and
Choice" refers to the need for a full range of quality housing
options across the State. The second principle, "Creation and
Preservation" reflects the need to stop the loss of existing
affordable housing as well as to create new housing. The third
principle, "Leadership" recognizes that because housing is
critical to the health of our communities and economy, housing
development must receive promotion, coordination, and guidance in
order to ensure that every area and group can fairly compete for
resources.
The Near North Apartments development in Chicago exemplifies the
State's efforts to increase affordability and choice for Illinois
residents. The State contributed more than $5 million to non-profit
group Mercy Housing Lakefront to build the single-room occupancy
development for 96 formerly homeless and low-income individuals,
many of whom have physical disabilities. The
environmentally-friendly building, designed by acclaimed architect
Helmut Jahn, will also offer case management and employment
counseling to its residents.
"The Governor's Housing Task Force and the Comprehensive Housing
Plans have helped encourage affordable housing developers in
Illinois to explore innovative ways to finance their projects and
the Near North Apartments is an example of what can be achieved. The
development is a real joint effort: the State funded more than one
third of the costs, the City of Chicago donated the land and
provided tax credits for investors secured by the National Equity
Fund. The Federal Home Loan Bank, the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and corporations such as USG also gave
significant grants," said Cindy Holler, executive director of Mercy
Housing Lakefront.
Copies of all the Housing Plans can be accessed at
www.ihda.org.
[Text copied from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
