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Northbrook board approves 48‑unit affordable supportive housing at 1657 Shermer Road
Summary
The Village Board unanimously approved three measures to sell Lot 1 at 1657 Shermer Road to the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) and grant final plan and development agreement approvals for a 48‑unit affordable, supportive housing project.
The Village Board of Northbrook voted unanimously to approve three related actions to advance a 48‑unit affordable and supportive housing development on Lot 1 of 1657 Shermer Road.
The ordinances and resolution approved by the board authorized (1) the real‑estate purchase and sale agreement with the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) for Lot 1 of 1657 Shermer Road, (2) final plan approval, variations and exceptions for the residential planned development on that lot, and (3) an amended and restated development agreement between the village and HODC. The board took the three items together and approved them in omnibus fashion by roll call; all trustees voted yes.
Village staff described the project as the northern 1.49‑acre portion of a larger site. The plan calls for a multi‑unit building providing 48 affordable rental units targeted to households who meet the ordinance’s affordability thresholds; staff and HODC representatives said the project will include supportive services and meet the village’s inclusionary housing goals. Staff noted the final plan differs from the prior concept in four modest ways: a widened northern fire lane, the addition of an electric‑vehicle charging station in the parking area, exterior bicycle racks, and screening for rooftop mechanical equipment.
The board and speakers emphasized the role the project plays in addressing a local shortfall of affordable housing. Trustee comments and public testimony referenced the village’s inclusionary housing aim and broader state expectations: one speaker noted the state has asked municipalities to submit affordable housing plans to the Illinois Housing Development Authority by June 14, 2025; another speaker and multiple trustees pointed to Northbrook’s current affordable‑housing percentage and the village goal of increasing supply so younger adults, local workers and residents with disabilities can remain in town.
Public commenters in favor included longtime residents and disability advocates. James Williams, who said he is an adult with level‑1 autism and has lived in Northbrook since childhood, told the board that affordable, supportive housing would enable people like him to remain in the community they grew up in. Several residents and trustees also cited the financing and public‑private partnerships that make the project feasible: HODC and the village summarized that the total development financing aggregates multiple federal tax‑credit and grant sources and private investment (project financing figures were summarized during the meeting).
Village officials said the lot is already encumbered by a supportive‑housing restrictive covenant recorded by the village, and that covenant will continue to run with the land after sale. Staff also emphasized that the project complied with the village’s inclusionary policy, noting the ordinance’s requirement that new developments of six units or more include a percentage of affordable units (the village’s inclusionary ordinance and guidebook set methodology for listing rental prices by AMI and unit size).
Vote and next steps: The board approved the three measures by roll call (Trustee Israel: yes; Trustee Ross: yes; Trustee Hebel: yes; Trustee Papoone: yes; Trustee Abomey Yellen: yes; Trustee Kohler: yes; President Ciesla: yes). HODC and village staff will proceed with final permitting and the development schedule; staff and HODC representatives indicated funding awards from federal tax credit and state/federal grant sources support the project but additional administrative steps remain before construction begins.
Why this matters: Trustees and multiple public speakers framed the project as a locally significant step toward the village’s housing goals that will provide family‑sized affordable units and supportive services for people with disabilities, local workers and residents priced out of the current housing market.
Meeting context: The HODC measures were taken together as items 10(c), 10(d) and 10(e) and approved by unanimous roll call following public comment and staff presentation.
