Committee renews funding for inclusionary housing waitlist management; staff says capacity will scale with units

The Housing and Community Development Committee voted Oct. 21 to renew funding for administration of Evanston’s inclusionary housing waitlist, continuing a partnership with Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) that began in 2017.

Amy Kaufman of CPAH answered questions from committee members about capacity and fees. Staff noted the renewal amount in the packet is flat to last year, even though the number of units served is projected to increase (staff cited compliance for seven additional units and possible future units from condo deconversion or a large project). CPAH said it has already expanded staffing (from 75% to 100% FTE for administration) to scale for increased activity and that economies of scale should limit fee increases; Amy Kaufman told the committee she did not expect fees to double if the program’s served unit count rises.

Committee members asked about how the waitlist matches unit size and turnover. Staff and CPAH said the program maintains a high occupancy rate (staff reported a 98% occupancy rate in existing inclusionary units) and that turnover timing, unit size and applicant eligibility all affect who moves from the waitlist into an available unit. Staff described outreach practices including email and text notifications when a unit becomes available.

The committee approved the renewal funding and asked staff to monitor capacity and update fees if necessary as the number of inclusionary units grows.