New neighbors are coming to 1824 Emerson Street in Evanston’s fifth ward. The homebuyers are purchasing a newly constructed approximate 1,500 square foot two-story residence for $190,000, built with the assistance of Evanston Township High School students.
With Community Partners for Affordable Housing of Libertyville, the ETHS Geometry in Construction home was started in 2019 and finished on site by professional contractors after placement over crawl space.
The community could attend a July 10 open house for a chance to see the seventh house built by the ETHS program in partnership with CPAH.
Amy Rosenfeld Kaufman, CPAH director of development and community relations, said, “This partnership is a win, win, win and a very compelling story.”
The Geometry in Construction home was moved from the school to a lot the City of Evanston identified and provided. The property, according to Kaufman, comes into the groups land trust program where it then is sold as permanent affordable housing.
The home has three bedrooms, a front porch, back wooden deck and a large, long backyard accommodating a parking pad out back for two vehicles.
“We are really proud of the success of this program and partnership.” Kaufman said. “And the kids and the Evanston community take great pride in it.”
The buyers will close the sale on July 26 as an occupant family of four. Residing there will be contract purchasers Sherelle Gill, of the ETHS Class of 2004, and Gill’s mother Dorothy Gill. Two young adult extended family members will live with the buyers.
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“It is amazing,” Dorothy Gill said. “It is something that I never thought that would happen. “But praying, having God in my life, and wonderful family and friends, it has happened and I’m so very, very thankful.”
“It’s a beautiful feeling, I was born and raised in Evanston, I’ve always wanted to stay in Evanston,” Sherelle Gill said. “My first memories were, I used to live on Emerson when I was, like, in preschool so it’s like coming back home.
As a graduate of ETHS, being able to have a home with help form students hit home with Sherelle Gill.
“I love ETHS, I feel like I’ve always said that anytime you go to ETHS, you’re going to come out with a lot of opportunities, a lot of skills, so it’s something that’s actually near and dear to my heart,” Sherelle Gill said.
To a round of applause, Sherelle Gill acknowledged Dale Leibforth of Evanston, ETHS math department chair and a 1993 ETHS graduate. Leiborth was Sherelle Gill’s geometry teacher at ETHS.
“I appreciate … everyone here,” Leibforth said to audience members.
Fifth Ward Councilmember Bobby Burns said about ETHS program, “I think this is amazing,” adding, “Today, the biggest threat to Evanston residents, really across incomes, is the rise in cost of housing, period.”
Maryjoy Heineman of Skokie, ETHS math teacher in geometry and construction and Matthew Kaiser, also an ETHS geometry and construction program teacher, attended.
The 1824 Emerson St. home was started by ETHS students during the 2019-2020 school year but the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 stalled construction. The home was placed on the current lot in June of 2021 for subcontractor completion. The subcontracting work is district-funded with costs recouped from the sale of the home.
A similar house will be moved this July 31 to a lot at 1739 Brown Avenue in Evanston for contractor completion.
STEAM curriculum principles of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics are utilized during the creation of the home, according to Kaiser.
“I think you can look at it as STEAM,” Kaiser said. ” (ETHS) is a great place to get an education, it’s a great place to experience a lot of things and we’re just one part of the bigger pie at the school.”
Heineman said the 2013-2014 school year was the school program’s first house with just over 1,000 ETHS students taking coursework over the decade.
“And it’s tied to affordable housing in the community so this is sold as an affordable house in Evanston and it will forever be sold as an affordable house so even as owners change, it will always be affordable,” Heineman said.
Kaufman said CPAH has the right of contract first refusal if homeowners want to sell but its more than likely the homeowners would sell directly to another qualified person with CPAH’s help.
“And the resale formula will determine what that maximum resale price is and the formula is designed to allow the homeowner to capture a small share of appreciation, if there is any, or have a deduction for a small share of depreciation if there is any, but keeping the price affordable for the next person,” Kaufman said. “It’s very low risk.
“The Community Land Trust model ensures that each home remains permanently affordable for buyer after buyer while still allowing each homeowner to build wealth by paying down their mortgage plus a small share of the appreciation, if any,” Kaufman said
The agency’s community land trust homes are located in Highland Park, Evanston, Lake Forest and Wilmette.
ETHS’s Geometry in Construction is, “an amazing program,” Kaufman added.
ETHS students who worked on the 1824 Emerson Street home included Ethan Cummins, 18, a 2023 ETHS graduate.
“I think it’s insane,” Cummins said. “I’m surprised that I worked on this place.”
The Geometry in Construction experience will, “help me buy a home in the future if I do,” Cummins said. “I can probably do a lot of home upkeep by myself so I don’t have to hire people because I went through this class.”
Max Kasprzycki, 15, an ETHS rising sophomore, said Geometry in Construction was a way to put math into the real world.
“It’s a real class and I was lucky enough that I could take it,” they said.
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Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.