Metropolitan Mayors Caucus presents housing options menu to Elmhurst council

Ben Shnely and Nancy Ferrer of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus presented a housing needs assessment and a menu of five strategies to the Elmhurst City Council on Feb. 17, outlining options the city can pursue to expand housing options for seniors, renters and first‑time buyers.

The report, prepared through MMC’s Homes for a Changing Region program and supported by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, distilled community engagement — an advisory group, focus groups, and a community survey with more than 1,600 responses — into three headline findings: Elmhurst’s senior population grew about 30% (roughly 2,000 people) since 2013 and needs smaller, accessible units; nearly half of Elmhurst renters (about 1,500 households) spend more than 30% of income on housing; and median home sale price rose from approximately $300,000 in 2012 to over $600,000 in 2025, limiting options for first‑time buyers.

MMC offered five potential strategies Elmhurst could consider: 1) preserve existing affordable rental housing by leveraging nonprofit tools such as the Community Investment Corporation and property‑repair programs; 2) consider creating a municipal housing commission to evaluate and monitor housing initiatives; 3) explore missing‑middle housing (small‑scale multiunit buildings) and related zoning or building code changes to allow options such as stacked duplexes where appropriate; 4) increase supply of affordable housing through targeted site development and, where appropriate, inclusionary housing ordinances; and 5) establish a housing trust fund and consider modifying demolition fees to generate local revenue for housing initiatives.

On financing community land trusts and one‑time subsidies, Ben Shnely said some municipalities use a combination of local housing trust funds paired with county, state and federal funding. "Some communities do pull directly from their housing trust fund to provide that one‑time subsidy," he said, citing Highland Park and Evanston as examples.

Council members asked for guidance on sequencing and scale. Shnely said the report did not rank strategies by priority but noted that some actions — such as connecting property owners to nonprofit preservation programs or creating a housing trust fund — can be started quickly, while inclusionary ordinances and missing‑middle zoning typically require longer analysis and tailoring to Elmhurst’s built environment.

Aldermen also discussed operational details: Alderman Nardini compared demolition fee levels in Elmhurst (~$2,400) to Northbrook ($10,000) and Highland Park ($15,000) and asked about tradeoffs between raising fees to fund affordable housing and discouraging redevelopment. MMC advised the council to consult municipalities that have implemented such fees for structure and fairness considerations.

MMC and council members acknowledged data gaps. In response to a question about the age range of first‑time buyers, MMC said Census data do not provide that detail and suggested local realtor associations might offer better information.

Mayor Levin said the presentation was the beginning of a process; the report will be referred to the council’s Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) committee for more detailed questions and possible next steps.

What happens next: The council referred the MMC report to the DPZ committee for further study and possible policy recommendations. MMC and city staff offered availability to assist the city as it develops implementation options.