Highland Park housing commission reports five plans to create 44 affordable units, approves housing grant for supportive units
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Summary
At the Feb. 23 city council meeting, the Housing Commission liaison reported five inclusionary-housing plans expected to add 44 affordable units and said the commission approved a grant (described in the transcript as “a half $1,000,000”) to support four affordable units for adults with developmental disabilities in a new 50-unit building across from the police station.
Council member Tapia, the council liaison to Highland Park’s Housing Commission, told the city council on Feb. 23 that the commission has reviewed five inclusionary-housing plans that together are expected to create 44 new affordable units.
Tapia said the commission oversees several city-owned housing programs — identifying the Pierce Housing Association (68 units), Ravinia Housing Association (17 units) and Sunset Woods Housing Association (14 units) — and manages the city’s housing trust, which can accept developers’ cash-in-lieu contributions to preserve or acquire permanently affordable housing.
“The commission approved a half $1,000,000 grant, with collaborative community housing initiative for down payment assistance related to 4 units of affordable housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Tapia said, describing the grant in remarks to the council. Tapia said the four assisted units will be part of a new building across the police station that will have a total of about 50 units for adults with developmental disabilities.
Tapia also said the commission submitted the city’s affordable housing planning materials to the Illinois Housing Development Agency as required for nonexempt communities. She noted the commission is close to completing a Scatter Sites program effort that secured repair and permanently affordable status for two units.
Council members did not debate or amend these items at the Feb. 23 meeting; the report was presented as an update and no formal ordinance or appropriation was adopted during the public session. Tapia emphasized the mix of rental, for-sale and single-family units supported by the housing trust and the commission’s role in approving budgets and overseeing management for city-owned properties.
Clarifying details from the meeting record include the housing-association unit counts (Pierce: 68; Ravinia: 17; Sunset Woods: 14) and the transcript description of the grant amount as “a half $1,000,000,” which the commission characterized as a single grant to support down-payment assistance for four units; the transcript does not provide an unambiguous numerical figure beyond that phrasing.
Next steps the housing liaison mentioned include ongoing administration of the housing trust and further follow-up on the Scatter Sites work. Any formal funding, zoning, or contract actions connected to the inclusionary plans will require separate council approvals in later sessions.
