DuPage County staff propose county-run land bank and nonprofit land trust to address “missing middle” housing

DuPage County Finance Committee members on May 27 heard staff recommendations to create a county-run land bank and to contract with a nonprofit community land trust to develop long-term affordable housing aimed at the so‑called “missing middle.” Paul Haas and staff outlined steps the county would take, including asking the County Board to pass a resolution establishing the land bank and to authorize a request for qualifications (RFQ) to select a nonprofit partner.

The proposal seeks to pair a county-controlled land bank — to hold and manage county‑owned or acquired parcels — with a nonprofit community land trust to lead development, long-term property management and resident eligibility verification. The approach is intended to use county inventory and existing housing funds while limiting new county staffing demands.

Why it matters: County staff and board members said the proposal targets households who earn too much to qualify for most subsidy programs but too little to afford typical DuPage housing, a group they called the “missing middle.” Officials said the combined land bank/land trust model preserves public control over land holdings while tapping nonprofit development and compliance expertise to deliver long‑term affordable units.

Staff framed the model as three coordinated tools: a housing trust fund already authorized by state statute, a community land trust run by a nonprofit, and a county land bank to hold inventory. Jeremy, staff member, summarized that county control of the land bank provides internal controls while a nonprofit partner brings development and programmatic expertise the county does not provide in‑house. Paul Haas described the specific near‑term steps staff will seek from the County Board: a resolution to formally create the land bank and authorization to issue an RFQ to identify a nonprofit land‑trust partner.

Sam Tornatore, chair of the Ad Hoc Housing and Development Committee, said the proposal is aimed at residents who “work here, but maybe make too much money to get any government assistance, but not enough to live where they work or where they were raised.” He and other members described zoning changes already enacted — including accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules, principal‑arterial conversions and reclassification of certain small lots as buildable — as complementary to the land bank strategy.

Staff said the county has an inventory of properties from the Clean and Lean program and other sources that could be reviewed and placed into the land bank. Paul Haas noted one recently donated parcel that staff recommends selling at market now and placing the proceeds into the housing trust once the trust is established.

How it would work: staff recommended the county operate the land bank (to retain control over which parcels are used and how), issue an RFQ to select an experienced nonprofit to operate the community land trust and manage long‑term compliance tasks (income certification, housing counseling, lease enforcement), and use existing housing funds as seed capital. Staff said the county’s $5,000,000 already appropriated to housing solutions would form the initial pool for the housing trust.

Board members asked about specifics: how the county would retain control while partnering with a nonprofit (staff: the county would hold land and funds and require contractual terms and board representation); likely nonprofit candidates (staff named DuPage Habitat for Humanity, Cook County Land Bank, CIPA and national developers such as Mercy as potential RFQ respondents); and timing (staff said an RFQ would be developed and issued, staff would vet responses over the following months, and the chosen partner and administrative rules would be presented to the County Board for approval).

Staff emphasized that some actions described — notably the County Board resolution to establish a land bank and authorization to issue an RFQ — would be sought at a future County Board vote and were not a final decision by the Finance Committee at the May 27 meeting. Board members signaled broad support for the proposal and for taking the RFQ step but did not vote on a land bank resolution in the Finance Committee meeting record.

Proponents said the model reduces county staffing burden (by leveraging nonprofit expertise), can convert county‑owned land to affordable housing or to sale proceeds that seed the trust, and complements recent zoning reforms intended to increase the supply of smaller‑unit and rental opportunities.

“Its the ability of the of the county to be able to essentially buy property development, help it with developers so that we can control what we're going to be seeing here for the people who live and work here in DuPage County,” Sam Tornatore said during the presentation.

Next steps: staff will draft the RFQ and the administrative framework for the land bank and community land trust partnership, present the RFQ and recommended partner to the County Board when the selection is complete, and work with the Ad Hoc Housing Solutions Committee on operating rules and policy. Staff estimated the RFQ and vetting would take several months.

Ending note: Committee members urged broad participation in the Ad Hoc Housing Solutions Committee and said they expected additional public‑facing steps as parcel selection and models (rental, shared‑equity, homeownership) are refined. The County Board will need to approve any formal creation of the land bank and any agreements with a nonprofit partner before land is transferred or funds are committed.