Park Ridge city leaders began discussing the city’s affordable housing compliance at the Sept. 21 city council committee-of-the-whole meeting.
The discussion, which will continue through to next month’s council meeting, comes ahead of 2029, when the Illinois Housing Development Authority is expected to review compliance with a state law requiring 10 % affordable housing. That review is part of federal HUD housing requirements.
Currently, Park Ridge has about 8 % affordable housing, according to the state’s accounting. Community Preservation and Development Director Drew Awsumb said the city’s affordable housing guidelines are voluntary and come with development incentives for builders, as opposed to mandatory requirements. He said some suburbs mandate specific affordable housing guidelines for developments, and other suburbs have incentives, and Park Ridge has the latter. He said it’s a carrot and stick approach.
The city last adopted its affordable housing guidelines in 2024 after two years of planning. Awsumb said under the current plan, the city allows for greater development density if a developer agrees to build some units under federal affordable housing guidelines. However, he said city leaders could require developers to include affordable housing in all developments to meet state law, but whatever the method, the city has to comply.
“That’s not up to us,” Awsumb said. “The state has passed the law and we have to comply with the law.”
Alderperson John Moran worried staff would waste time exploring options that weren’t popular enough to even get a vote. He seemed disinclined to dig much into the matter and said he doubted anyone on the board cared enough to upend the current system.
“I don’t know if we have the votes to do anything more aggressive,” he said.
But Alderperson Lauren Rapisand said she would be interested in exploring what neighboring communities are doing. She wasn’t on the board when the last policy passed in early 2024.
“It’s worth exploring,” she said.
Awsumb said there wouldn’t be much effort in creating a small presentation of what other communities are doing as city staff already made a similar presentation to the Planning and Zoning Committee.
The community might be up for an update. Several people attended the council meeting and spoke in favor of expanding affordable housing options in the city.
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Kristin Berg pointed out developers can apply for, and in theory get, density waivers without offering any affordable housing options, so simply offering inducements might not be enough to meet the 10 percent requirement. She said the city has tried a voluntary approach for two years and hasn’t met the state’s threshold, so there should be something else.
“If you don’t change anything, nothing is going to change,” she told the council. Ultimately, she said, it’s up to the council to make sure state law is being met.
“This is nothing being done,” Berg said.
Nan Parsons, another resident, agreed.
“I want to plead with the council,” she said. “If we’re going to have affordable housing in Park Ridge, we’re going to have to show that we want it.”
She pointed out about half a dozen area communities that mandate developers include affordable housing in their plans.
“I don’t understand why we don’t make it clear that we want affordable housing here,” she said. “Our citizens deserve it.”
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.