Housingpolicy.org's inaugural podcast focuses on employer-assisted housing, and features interviews with Metropolitan Planning Council's Robin Snyderman and Ray Schmidt of Select Milwaukee, MPC's Milwaukee EAH partner. It also profiles REACH Illinois and the recent EAH Guidebook for Employers, which MPC co-authored for the national Homes for Working Families. In her segment, Ms. Snyderman describes the new Northrop Grumman EAH program about to launch in the Mississippi Gulf Coast , due in part to technical assistance from MPC.

Ms. Snyderman also explains that the Metropolitan Planning Council has continued to see the benefits of employer-assisted housing as this initiative engages business leaders in housing solutions. By setting up a model that is easy for employers, REACH Illinois housing counseling partners have helped more than 1,400 working families buy homes in Illinois since 2000. Illinois has become a national leader on EAH, offering tax credits and matching funds – administered by the Chicago Dept. of Housing and Illinois Housing Development Authority. More than 70 employers are engaged with MPC's program, many of them now leaders in supporting state and local affordable housing policies and development proposals.

At the most recent (and most well attended) conference of the American Planning Association in Nevada, Lynn Ross of NHC demonstrated the HousingPolicy.org web page, and Ms. Snyderman spoke about headway on housing policy in Illinois, pointing out the useful role of EAH. With the current foreclosure crisis, both speakers stressed that new private sector resources to support homeowners and communities are more important than ever. Employer-assisted housing programs, as encouraged by the proposed Housing America's Workforce Act (HR. 1850 S. 1078), can be particularly useful – for families seeking homeownership assistance and communities responding to neighborhoods devastated by foreclosure trends.

To learn more about EAH tax credits and matching funds, please visit www.ihda.org or Housing America's Workforce Act (HR. 1850 S. 1078) is available on MPC's Web site.

The Illinois Works Coalition is headed to metropolitan Chicago to get the public's take on how Illinois should fund a long-overdue state capital plan to build and maintain roads, bridges, transit, schools and housing. MPC will provide the coalition with funding recommendations– and a proposal for how Illinois can ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely on capital needs.

It may seem hard to believe, but Illinois does not have a process for rating all transportation projects to determine which make the best use of taxpayers' dollars. Such a process is sorely needed, if for no other reason than that the state does not have enough money to fund all of the projects on its wish list. According to a 2007 study by the American Economics Group, Illinois has almost $9 billion in surface transportation capital needs per year over the next five years; however, only $2 billion a year is spent for surface transportation projects.

The Illinois Works Coalition – named for the governor's proposed capital plan – has been touring the state since February, led by Southern Illinois University President and former congressman Glenn Poshard, and former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. In a recent article in the Southern Illinoisan, Poshard was quoted as stating, "If we want a capital bill, then somebody's got to say, 'Here are the tough choices and here's what we recommend.'" MPC couldn't agree more and will only support a capital investment package with an objective, criteria-driven system for making those difficult, but necessary decisions about which Illinois transportation projects deserve taxpayer dollars.

The Illinois Works Coalition will host a listening session in Geneva , Ill. , on Monday, April 28, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Illinois Works Coalition Web site, or contact Michael McLaughlin, MPC Director of Regional Policy & Transportation, at 312-863-6022 or mmclaughlin@metroplanning.org.

Near West Communities Invited to Help Plan Retail, Transportation Access

The Near West Task Force of Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a community planning process that will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in three Chicago neighborhoods, invites Near West Side community members to a public meeting on Monday, April 28 , from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the "Major" Adams Community Committee Center, 125 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, to learn more about transportation and retail amenities in and around the Westhaven Park neighborhood, and to voice their opinions about how to make their neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.

The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority, MPC, and HNTB, a firm handling the project's technical work and research. For more information, visit the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site, or contact MPC Reconnecting Neighborhoods Manager Brandon Johnson, 312-863-6046 or bjohnson@metroplanning.org.

Suburban Mayors Exploring Potential for Joint Affordable Housing Trust Fund

At a recent City Council meeting, the City of Lake Forest gave Mayor Mike Rummel the go-ahead to explore the creation of a joint affordable housing trust fund with the four neighboring towns of Deerfield, Highland Park , Highwood, and Northbrook. The proposal also was discussed at a recent Northbrook City Council meeting; and is up for consideration by Highland Park's City Council on Monday, May 12 , and by the other cities in the coming weeks. Mayors of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine and Rolling Meadows are leading a similar effort. While the concept is in its infancyin Illinois, LakeForest's City Council is enthusiastic about the potential benefits of the ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing) model, which in Washington state has created a partnership between 15 communities ensuring all of them have the staff capacity and funding needed to build and preserve workforce housing.

With gas prices and foreclosure rates skyrocketing, and poverty on the rise in suburban Chicago (as evidenced by a recent Heartland Alliance report), local leaders are recognizing they can relieve some of the economic burden on families by ensuring a range of homes at all price points are available, particularly in job-rich and transit-friendly communities. Mayors from the north and northwest suburbs have already seen the benefits of working collectively to solve local workforce housing shortages through the Charter One Workforce Housing Initiative, which is engaging employers in these towns in investing in employer-assisted housing and other workforce housing solutions. An interjurisdictional affordable housing trust fund could be the next step to helping even more people save money on housing, gas and other rapidly rising costs in metropolitan Chicago. For more information, contact MPC Vice President of Community Development Robin Snyderman, at 312-863-6007, or rsnyderman@metroplanning.org.

CPS Homebuyer Assistance Helps Chicago Teachers Defy Weak Housing Market

As foreclosure rates reach all-time highs in Chicago and across theU.S., the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Program is helping hundreds of teachers afford homes and avoid common pitfalls that can lead to foreclosure. CPS has confirmed that, despite the local and national downturn in the housing market, the number of teachers who have purchased homes through the program remained consistent in 2006 and 2007.

With support from the City ofChicago's Dept. of Housing, and Partnership for New Communities, the program helps teachers become stable homebuyers to achieve its main goal of improving teacher retention. According to CPS Teacher Housing Director Diana Johnson, "When launching this program in April of 2005, the Board of Education had found that if we could bridge teachers through their fifth year at CPS, then we'd have likely secured a career teacher."

To date, the program, available to some 24,400 teachers system wide, has helped 524 teachers better prepare for homeownership through downpayment assistance and homeownership counseling provided by Rogers Park Community Development Corporation (CDC). Consistent with the broader REACH Illinois employer-assisted housing initiative, this counseling "ensures that teachers not only understand the [homebuying] process, but also know how to protect themselves and their investment once they make a purchase," according to Caleb Sjoblom of Rogers Park CDC.

For more information on the CPS Teacher Homebuyer Assistance Program, or other REACH Illinois Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) programs like it, please contact Jane Hornstein, MPC EAH consultant, at jhornstein@metroplanning.org or 312.863.6040.

Mr. Johnson was a long-time member of the MPC Board of Governors, established MPC's Executive Advisors, and tapped MPC's expertise in the research phase for his book, Chicago Metropolis 2020: The Chicago Plan for the 21 st Century.

At its February 20 Executive Committee meeting, MPC approved a resolution to honor Mr. Johnson, which reads, in part:

We acknowledge with sincere appreciation the dedication, guidance and service of Elmer W. Johnson. We further resolve to honor the memory of Elmer W. Johnson by continuing our work to implement sensible growth ideas and regional planning to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity of all residents of the Chicago region.

Mr. Johnson was an attorney and prominent member of the Chicagoland business community, and contributed to the economic vitality of the region as a partner at Jenner & Block since 2002; managing partner of Kirkland & Ellis for 20 years; and general counsel, executive vice president and director of General Motors Corporation. From the time he left Kirkland & Ellis in 1999, until 2002, Mr. Johnson served as president and trustee of the Aspen Institute.

"Elmer was a fixture of Chicagoland's business and civic communities," said MPC President MarySue Barrett. "He was all the more impressive because he was genuinely committed to making the region a place where everyone had an opportunity to succeed and live well."

The Commercial Club of Chicago, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago were among Mr. Johnson's other civic involvements. He also was an original member of the Chicago Metropolis 2020 Executive Council; established in 1999.

Meanwhile, MPC housing consultant Dawn Stockmo gave the keynote address – focusing on the connection between housing, transportation, jobs and the environment – at the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments' Creating Housing Choices Regional Conference.

At both events, MPC highlighted the need for the Housing America's Workforce Act, which proposes a $0.50 federal tax credit on every dollar an employer invests in EAH.

Illinois has learned a great deal about the bottom-line business value of affordable, workforce housing, and has seen meaningful outcomes -- both in terms of employees served and responsive housing policy change at the state and local level. This is precisely the sort of activity needed at the national level. For more information on EAH achievements and accomplishments in Illinois ,or to pursue an EAH initiative within your community or company, please visit REACH Illinois.

While housing professionals and policymakers struggle to support the millions of Americans affected by the subprime meltdown, now -- perhaps more than ever -- the country needs creative strategies for leveraging new resources for homebuyer education and counseling. Increasingly, employers see their self interest in investing in such counseling, and protecting their own employees from the kind of instability that results from predatory lending and potential foreclosure.

Through the program, Loyola faculty and staff receive a forgivable loan from the University to be used for down-payment assistance and closing costs. Loyola is contracting with the Rogers Park Community Development Corporation (Rogers Park CDC) to provide all UAH participants with free, pre-purchase home-ownership counseling, which has been shown to reduce the risk of foreclosure. Rogers Park CDC also will help participants determine if they qualify for additional housing assistance from the city, county, and state.

The UAH program builds upon the original "walk to work" initiative, which was one of the early Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) programs inIllinois.

"Loyola recognizes that the Red Line has always been a critical part of our University, as it provides door-to-door service between the Water Tower Campus and the Lake Shore Campus. We want faculty and staff to be part of our environmental goals and recognize that they don't need to depend on a car to work here," said Jennifer Clark, director of community relations. "And, we want to provide extra incentives for employees who commit to our local communities of Edgewater and Rogers Park."

The UAH program not only benefits Loyola's workers, but also helps to stabilize Chicago communities by promoting home ownership in the city.

"Today's tough housing market underscores the value of the basic Employer-Assisted Housing model that Loyola has embraced," said Robin Snyderman, vice president for community development, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). "We applaud Loyola University Chicago for building on this model to create an innovative program that promotes workforce stability, reduces employees' commutes, and encourages neighborhood reinvestment and public transit ridership."

MPC launchedIllinois' EAH model with pilot company System Sensor of St. Charles, Ill., in 2000. Since then, more than 65 Chicago-area employers have "signed on" to offer EAH, and more than 1,500 Illinois workers have purchased homes through the program.

In Chicago, other employers offering EAH programs include Chase Bank, Chicago PublicSchools , The John Buck Company, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, Charter One Bank, Harris N.A., Rush University MedicalCenter , and University ofChicago. MPC helps employers design customized EAH programs in Illinois and nationwide, and provides program evaluation.

For more information about Employer Assisted Housing, contact Mandy Burrell Booth, MPC assistant communications director, at 312.863.6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org; or Jane Hornstein, consultant, employer and developer relations, MPC, at 312.863.6040 or jhornstein@metroplanning.org. For specific questions about Loyola's UAH program, contact Steve Christensen, communications manager, Loyola University Chicago, 312.915.6164 or schris6@luc.edu.

About Loyola University
Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago was founded in 1870 and is the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic University . Loyola has a total enrollment of more than 15,500 students, which includes nearly 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 foreign countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome , Italy . Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China . Loyola's ten schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master's degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Recognizing Loyola's excellence in education, U.S.News & World Report has ranked Loyola consistently among the "top national universities," and named the University a "best value" in its 2008 rankings. For more information, please visit our Web site at LUC.edu.

About Rogers Park Community Development Corporation
The mission of the Rogers Park Community Development Corporation (RPCDC) is to foster community development and create and preserve affordable and diverse housing opportunities in Rogers Park and Chicago through education, training, advocacy and devel opment.

About Metropolitan Planning Council
Founded in 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving the public interest through development, promotion and implementation of sound planning and development policies so all residents have access to opportunity and a good quality of life – the building blocks of a globally competitive greater Chicago region.

Two of Chicago's newest housing leaders, Lewis Jordan, CEO of CHA, and Ellen Sahli, commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Housing, opened the forum, which featured a panel discussion with a national researcher, Dr. Thomas Boston, professor of Economics, Georgia Tech University; and local practitioners, Charles Hillman, assistant director of asset management, CHA; and Mary Wiggins, chair of the Residents' Central Advisory Council (CAC), and a member of the CHA Board of Commissioners. Pam Daniels-Halisi , senior vice president of community development lending at LaSalle/Bank ofAmerica, and MPC Housing Committee member, moderated the panel.

As the newly appointed CEO of CHA, Mr. Jordan expressed his excitement about working with CHA staff and partners, and building on the level of interest and support of so many stakeholders in making the Plan for Transformation a success. He spoke frankly about the poor quality of CHA's traditional public housing in the past, but emphasized a commitment to improving the physical quality of the housing, as well as higher expectations for residents' quality oflife. "Chicago is in the midst of the largest public housing redevelopment in the country," he said. While continuing to raise standards, "the foundation of CHA's vision should be quality of life for residents. When children become 18, CHA's goal is to make sure they have other options," saidJordan.

Commissioner Sahli connected the Plan for Transformation to the city's larger affordable housing agenda . Homes preserved and created through the Plan advance the city's overall affordable housing goals for both low and moderate-income families. Ms. Sahli, who has an extensive background in the supportive housing field, also highlighted the importance of combining rent subsidies with support services to help people increase their incomes.

Dr. Boston shared insights based on his four-year research of outcomes for Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) residents. Using data for every AHA household over the past 10 years, his research tracked indicators such as employment status, income, education, and poverty status over time and linked them to community indicators such as crime rates, poverty levels, and school quality. "When families have access to quality housing and neighborhoods, they have drastically different socio-economic outcomes," he said. Dr. Boston is in the initial stage of a similar study of CHA residents, funded by the MacArthur Foundation.

Boston stressed the correlation between neighborhood stability and resident self-sufficiency. "Housing assistance alone will not lead to self-sufficiency," he said, and attention must be placed on broader service and community networks. He described other best practices for achieving the goal of self-sufficiency for residents and creating better neighborhoods, such as engaging public and private partners to improve original neighborhoods with necessary policies and to attract new investment. "In many communities, financing is easier to address than the sociology of making them successful," saidBoston.

Hillman outlined the overall physical, cultural, and economic goals of the Plan for Transformation for CHA leaseholders. As of the end of 2007, CHA has completed 65 percent of its goal to create 25,000 homes. Of that, CHA has renovated more than 2,000 units in traditional family properties , representing 43 percent of its goal for these sites.

Hillman described the comprehensive renovations-infrastructure, interior, exterior-that are completed, taking place or planned in a number of family properties including, Altgeld-Murray, Lawndale, and Washington Park Low-Rise homes. The cost of these renovations has increased significantly since the beginning of the Plan, with a current cost between $120,000 and $150,000 per unit. Along with investments in physical renovations, he said, "CHA wants to be comprehensive in its efforts and spends over $25 million of its own funds and from its partnerships on social services such as case management, children and youth services, and workforce development." These services and more are provided in all communities where CHA residents temporarily or permanently reside. Moreover, Hillman stressed that "all residents of Chicago have a lot to offer, including CHA families, and people should not be defined by their landlords."

Ms. Wiggins spoke from her perspective as a CHA resident, leader of the Resident's Central Advisory Council (CAC) and a member of the Board of Commissioners. She reiterated the goal to move all residents to self-sufficiency, including those living in the rehabbed family properties and stressed that all stakeholders are "working for the greater good of CHA residents." Given the large investments of CHA and its partners, she said, "No one is asking CHA to spend money and not hold residents accountable," but it's important to remember that "employment places have closed and residents are affected by the job market like other Chicagoans." Ms. Wiggins also emphasized "many CHA residents are successful and have moved on from public housing, but their stories are not told."

A brief Q&A session following the panelists' presentations touched on a variety of topics, including the additional supports and resources needed in the "rehabs," impact of the Plan for Transformation on children, and importance of the rehabs to the overall Plan for Transformation.

Even at the conclusion of a robust Q&A session, there was still tremendous appetite for further dialogue and debate. MPC explained there would be future opportunities to delve into the many topics touched on at the forum, such as building rehabilitation, property management, neighborhood redevelopment, social services, and resident engagement.

As CPS Teacher Housing Director Diana Johnson explained, "The Board of Education launched this program in April of 2005 as a strategy for improving teacher retention.  We'd found that if we can bridge a teacher through a fifth year at CPS, then we've likely secured a career teacher." 

Since its launch, the CPS program has helped 524 teachers buy homes in the city of Chicago . With the idea of teacher retention in mind, the assistance is given in the form of a forgivable loan. As long as the teacher remains an employee of CPS and stays in the home for five years, the loan is forgiven.

Rogers Park Community Development Corporation provides homebuyer education and counseling that is essential to the sucessful EAH program, ensuring the employees make sound decisions, understand the various lender programs available to them, and leverage the CPS support to obtain additional financial assistance.  

"The counseling is critical to ensuring that teachers not only understand the process, but know how to protect themselves and their investments once they  purchase. The teachers have been able to take advantage of a buyers market and not only get good homes, but better financing as well," said Caleb Sjoblum of Rogers Park CDC.

To date, there has been only one teacher who has had any problems maintaining the home purchased through the program, and 12 who have left CPS employment.

The Chicago Public Schools' Teachers Homebuyer Assistance Program was structured with financial support from the City of Chicago Dept. of Housing and The Partnership  for New Communities, as well as the technical assistance from  MPC.  MPC also helped CPS obtain and sell  state EAH tax credits . This was a key incentive for CPS to create a program because it helped the district recapture a portion of its investment. CPS received tax credits on the first $500,000 invested in EAH, which sold for about $200,000, thus reducing the cost of the program by 40 percent.

"The success of CPS' program, particularly in this housing market, underscores what an incredibly effective workforce stability tool EAH can be," said Robin Snyderman, MPC vice president of community development. "Beyond achieving its original teacher retention goals, the CPS story is also about how EAH prevents employees from falling prey to predator loans or, worse, foreclosures."

"Building on our commitment to the Rogers Park neighborhood, the university recognizes that the Red Line has always been a critical part of our campus," said Jennifer Clark, LUC's director of community relations. "While we will continue to provide extra incentives for people to invest in the local neighborhood, this makes tremendous sense for us to encourage employees to live along the public transportation line that will bring them to work."

Rogers Park Community Development Corporation, a REACH Illinois partner, is providing housing counseling services to LUC employees who participate in the program.

According to Robin Snyderman, MPC's vice president of community development, "Today's housing market underscores the value of the basic employer-assisted housing model that Loyola has embraced. The employer's investment coupled with homebuyer education and counseling services provided by Rogers Park CDC will help university employees make better homebuying decisions."  She added, "We applaud LUC for creating an innovative program that encourages neighborhood reinvestment and promotes the use of public transit."

"The UAH program is a tremendous opportunity for the university, the employees, and the communities surrounding our campus" said Thomas M. Kelly, vice president of human resources for LUC.

Mayor Belsky , a regional leader on affordable and workforce housing solutions, wrapped up the panel from the perspective of a policymaker. He shared with legislative staff key details about the Illinois EAH model, upon which the federal bill is largely based, as well as a number of anecdotes demonstrating why employer engagement on housing issues is helpful to local elected officials.

In particular, Mayor Belsky highlighted how the work of REACH Illinois is helping frame and bolster Highland Park and four of its neighboring municipalities to engage employers as supporters of and, in some cases, investors in affordable housing. Through the work of this new Charter OneWorkforce Housing Initiative, these five affluent communities found that they have nearly 60,000 workers earning less than $50,000 per year – and have only 5,000 homes affordable to them.

"City employees make Northlake work, so it's appropriate for the city to recognize their commitment by helping them live in the heart of the community they serve," said Mayor Jeffrey Sherwin. "Through a modest investment in Employer-Assisted Housing, we can offer homeownership opportunities to our employees and support housing development in Northlake."

The City of Northlake is the developer of WolfRidge , a development with 60 one-, two- and three-bedroom units located at 77 N. WolfRd., just blocks from City Hall. Approximately one-third of the units have already been sold, although the development is not yet open for viewing.

Within a few months, the City expects to open this benefit to other public servants of Northlake who are not directly employed by the City – such as school district employees and firefighters. For now, the benefit is available exclusively to City of Northlake employees.

"Employer-Assisted Housing is a great way Northlake can support community reinvestment, while helping the city's public servants reduce their commutes and strengthen their ties to the community by buying a home in Wolf Ridge," said LillieJernigan, EAH consultant for the nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).

Jernigan added that, since MPC launchedIllinois' EAH model with pilot company System Sensor in 2000, more than 60 Chicago-area employers have "signed on" to offer EAH, and more than 1,500 Illinois workers have purchased homes through the program.

City employees will receive free pre-purchase counseling and education as part of this benefit, which is proven to help homebuyers prepare for homeownership and avoid foreclosure. The North West Housing Partnership (NWHP), a nonprofit housing counseling agency, will provide the counseling; and assist eligible households in accessing additional downpayment assistance for their purchase from county and statewide homebuyer programs, including matching funds available from the State of Illinois as well as Cook County American Dream Downpayment Initiative funds (ADDI).

The city will be able to recoup some of its investment in EAH through reduced employee turnover and recruitment costs; as well as through the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit Program, if applicable, which provides employers a 50-cent tax credit for every $1 they provide in EAH assistance and is transferable to an entity with state tax liability.

InIllinois, other employers offering EAH programs include Allstate, Charter One Bank, Wheaton Franciscan Services, the City of St. Charles, and University of Chicago. MPC helps employers design customized EAH programs in Illinois and nationwide, and provides program evaluation.

For more information about Employer Assisted Housing, contact Mandy BurrellBooth, MPC assistant communications director, at 312.863.6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org; or Lillie Jernigan, EAH consultant, MPC, at 312.863.6005 or ljernigan@metroplanning.org. For specific questions about Northlake's proposed EAH program, contact Bill Kabler, City of Northlake, at 708.343.8700 or bkabler@northlakecity.com.

About the City of Northlake
The City of Northlake is located in the center of the Chicago metropolitan area near the confluence of major interstates and expressways with O'Hare airport 18 minutes to the north. The City has great housing values and is conveniently close to major employment centers.

About Metropolitan Planning Council 
Founded in 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving the public interest through development, promotion and implementation of sound planning and development policies so all residents have access to opportunity and a good quality of life – the building blocks of a globally competitive greater Chicago region.

About the North West Housing Partnership
Founded in 1990, the North West Housing Partnership's mission is to act as a catalyst to bring together the public and private resources necessary to implement a community's housing vision and to create balanced housing opportunities for all.

Ald.Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward), in partnership with the Quad Communities Development Corporation, and the new initiative Reconnecting Neighborhoods, invites community members to a series of local meetings on Feb. 20, 27, and March 5, to:

• Voice their opinions about how to make their neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.
• Plan improvements that will increase access to transportation, shopping and jobs.
• Learn more about transportation and retail amenities -- both current and potential -- in the Grand Boulevard, North Kenwood, Douglas, and Oakland neighborhoods.

These meetings are the first community meetings for Reconnecting Neighborhoods , which will invite residents of three Chicago mixed-income neighborhoods to participate in the planning for the future of their communities. The project will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in Near North, Near West and Mid-South neighborhoods. The project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority and MPC. HNTB, a planning firm, will handle the project's technical work and research.

For more information, including locations, contact MPC Reconnecting Neighborhoods Manager Brandon Johnson , 312-863-6046 or bjohnson@metroplanning.org. And check out the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Web site next week for a revamped look, profiles of community members, and more details about this initiative.

New Case Studies Show Local Leaders Are Working to Balance Housing Options

Earlier this month, St. Charles, Ill., adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund, joining a handful of municipalities in metropolitan Chicago taking steps to address the regional and national affordable housing crunch. MPC, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Chicago Metropolis 2020 are helping to promote such actions through the expanded edition of Home Grown: Local Housing Strategies in Action , featuring 51 best practices from the region.

Home Grown helps municipal officials and housing developers learn how their peers are solving housing challenges, and provides ideas for replicating or improving upon these approaches. This collection is a "living" resource that is updated annually with new, local examples of case studies on innovative housing policies and developments, including regional programs such as employer-assisted housing. New tothe guidethis year areprofiles fromBartlett, Chicago, DuPageCounty, Elgin, Glenview,Joliet, KaneCounty, Naperville, Northlake, Park Forest, Plainfield, andSchaumburg.

Download a copy of Home Grown ;or contact MPC Community Building Associate JoshEllis, 312-863-6045, or jellis@metroplanning.org.

MPC Encouraged by Proposals to Improve Federal Transportation Funding

Voters in metropolitan regions like Chicago are going to the polls in record numbers, calling for federal leadership on issues critical to their daily lives. Like healthcare and homeownership, transportation – not only how people get from place to place, but also a major factor in the amenities they have access to – needs a dose of fresh thinking at the federal level. MPC is encouraged by the bold thinking in the report "Transportation for Tomorrow ," the product of a national commission charged by Congress with improving transportation funding policies, including recommendations to:

• Increase transportation funding at the state and federal level to improve aging bridges, roads, transit systems, and rail infrastructure.
• Institute performance and accountability standards that require economic justification for projects.
• Increase funding for transit, passenger rail, and freight projects.
• Hike the gas tax. (Note: MPC also recommends exploring alternative funding sources for the highway trust fund, as gas tax revenues continue to decline.)
• Expand authorization for congestion pricing and public-private partnerships.

Many of these recommendations mirror MPC proposals for state action. In preparation for reauthorization of a federal surface transportation bill in 2009, and in partnership with The Brookings Institution's Blueprint for American Prosperity , MPC will push for a new federal transportation framework to support metro regions. Contact MPC Regional Policy & Transportation Director MichaelMcLaughlin, mmclaughlin@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6022.

Modeshift Conference Will Encourage Communities to Be Low-Carbon Leaders

The Climate Group recently issued a report stating, "State and regional governments around the world are fast becoming an essential part of the movement to combat climate change." In metropolitan Chicago, municipalities, too, have more actively been seeking strategies for curbing emissions and saving energy. Local planners and community leaders will have plenty of ideas to choose from at the Healthy Streets Conference , taking place Thursday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Metcalf Federal Building, 3rd floor, 77 W. Jackson, Chicago.

The theme of this year's conference, "Modeshift," encourages community leaders and planners to calculate their communities' transportation carbon footprints and equips them with the tools they need to significantly reduce them. Keynote speaker Martha Roskowski, of Go Boulder, will give an account ofBoulder's efforts to be a low-carbon leader in Colorado and the nation.

Registration is $35 for Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members and $45 for non-members. Lunch is included. Attendees may register online. Reporters may attend free of charge, but registration is appreciated.

This event is presented by the U.S. EPA and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, and co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

(St. Charles) … The City of St.Charles, a western suburb of Chicago, adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance on Feb. 4, joining a handful of local municipalities taking concrete steps to address the metropolitan region's affordable housing crunch.

Inclusionary zoning requires residential developers to set aside a certain percentage of homes in a development to be priced as affordable. The City also approved legislation enabling the creation of a housing trust fund, a flexible, locally run pool that will support actions that preserve and create affordable homes in the community, including financing new affordable homes, assisting homebuyers, and upgrading existing properties.

The City of Chicago and two northern suburbs, Highland Park and LakeForest, have similar laws on the books. However, St. Charles took a unique approach to the development of its inclusionary zoning ordinance.

"The St. Charles Housing Commission worked hard to develop an inclusionary zoning ordinance that makes sense within the local housing market," said St. Charles Mayor Donald DeWitte. "The commission met with the school and park districts, local developers, and other real estate professionals to craft a policy that will create new homes and send a message to the development community that St. Charles wants housing for our workforce."

While most communities with inclusionary zoning require a flat percentage for all qualified developments, St. Charles' inclusionary zoning ordinance is "tiered," requiring developments of different sizes to set aside different percentages of affordable homes. Developers can opt to pay an in lieu fee of $140,000 per unit, rather than build all or some of the units, depending on the size of the development. Fees would be paid to the housing trust fund.

The housing commission tapped real estate consultant S.B. Friedman & Company to analyze how the proposed ordinance would affect developers' costs and profits. The study concluded that most developers would choose to build the homes on site, rather than to pay the fee; and that cost offsets built into the ordinance (density bonus, fee waivers, etc.) would make the construction of affordable homes financially viable for most developers.

Mayor DeWitte, St. Charles Ald. BetsyPenny, and the St. Charles Housing Commission, chaired by St. Charles resident and affordable housing developer Cindy Holler, led the charge to make these two pieces of legislation a reality. Local leaders began working with the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to develop a housing action plan in 2003. The city is eager to address the decreasing supply of housing for moderate-income workers, a negative consequence of St. Charles' strong local housing market and desirable location. Between 2000 and 2005, the median price of a home in St. Charles rose by 38 percent, while the median household income increased by only 9 percent.

While inclusionary zoning was under consideration by the City of St.Charles, the city already had some success with developers contributing funds for affordable housing. These funds provide the core of the housing trust fund to address future housing needs. In the First Street Redevelopment, the City's downtown mixed-use project, the developer constructed 16 affordable apartments before the ordinance went into effect.

"St. Charles' decision is monumental," said MPC Vice President of Community Development RobinSnyderman. "The city is one of a growing number of job-rich, affluent communities in metropolitan Chicago that understands the region needs to plan for a mix of housing options near jobs to continue to be an attractive place to live and do businesses."

While monumental, these policies are still just part of the equation in St.Charles. The St. Charles Housing Commission plans to reach out to employers to ask them to invest in affordable housing for their workers; partner with Kane County around new housing programs; and review existing building codes to ensure they are not cost prohibitive to affordable housing construction.

For more information about the inclusionary zoning ordinance, housing trust fund, or housing action plan, please contact Bob Hupp, Director of Planning, City of St. Charles, 630.377.4443 or bhupp@ci.stcharles.il.us; or Mandy Burrell Booth, Asst. Communications Director, Metropolitan Planning Council, 312.863.6018, 773.640.1206 (cell) or mburrell@metroplanning.org .

In 2008, MPC will focus on advancing policies that:

• increase transportation options– including walking, riding bikes, and taking transit – for residents and businesses across metropolitan Chicago, both to reduce congestion and curb emissions;
• create more great places in Illinois by identifying and promotinglow-cost, but highly effective strategies to improve planning efforts at the local, regional and state level; and
• engage the private sector in financing innovations that will serve and stabilize thelocal workforce, including affordable housing and transportation options.

Policy proposals set forth by MPC are built on a foundation of consensus-building. By partnering with civic organizations, community groups, business leaders, and government agencies during all three stages of policy development – research, advocacy and implementation – MPC for decadeshasbeen an effective agent for regional policy change.

For more information about MPC's Policy Agenda - Opportunity Knocks , contact Peter Skosey, vice president of external relations, at (312) 863-6004 or pskosey@metroplanning.org.

An electronic copy of Understanding Employer-Assisted Housing is available on the Homes for Working Families Web site. Homes for Working Families is a national nonprofit organization focused on improving home affordability for families earning between 60 and 120 percent of the area median income.

In a recent press release , the organization announced its decision to honor the following employers with 2008 Pioneer Awards:

• Aflac – Columbus, Ga.

• Applied Materials, Inc. – Santa Clara, Calif.

• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (Formerly Hatch & Parent) – Santa Barbara, Calif.

• Citizens Financial Group, Inc. – Providence, R.I.

• City of Columbia, S.C.

• City of Seattle, Wash.

• CVS Caremark – Washington, D.C.

• Harley-Davidson Motor Company – Milwaukee, Wis.

• Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Md.

• Northrop Grumman Corporation – Long Island, N.Y. & Pascagoula, Miss.

• The Schwan Food Company – Marshall, Minn.

• System Sensor/Honeywell – St. Charles, Ill.

• UNITE HERE Local 226 – Las Vegas, Nev.

• University of Chicago and University of Chicago Medical Center – Chicago, Ill.

MPC was delighted to be selected as a co-author of the guidebook, an opportunity to illustrate the expanding "menu of options" for employers interested in investing in housing solutions for their workers.  The diversity of employers, marketplaces and strategies included in the guidebook reflect the versatility of Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) as an effective way to provide homes for working families.

For more information about local EAH efforts, please visit the REACH Illinois Web site.

Joining Highland Park, Lake Forest and Chicago, Feb. 4, 2008, St. Charles, Ill., adopted its inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund enabling legislation. "Its monumental," says MPC Vice President of Community Development Robin Snyderman. "There are a number of job-rich and affluent communities in our region working to ensure a diverse mix of housing options. They understand the jobs-housing mismatch is both a local and regional issue that negatively impacts our economic competitiveness."  

Inclusionary zoning is a tool that requires residential developers to set aside a certain percentage of the homes in the development to be priced as affordable. A housing trust fund is a flexible, locally run pool to support a community's affordable housing activities, including helping to finance a new affordable development, assisting homebuyers, and upgrading existing properties.

While not alone, the City of St. Charles did take a unique approach to the development of its inclusionary zoning ordinance. It was very careful to ensure the ordinance made sense with the local housing market. First, the ordinance is "tiered," requiring developments of different sizes to set aside different percentages of affordable homes. Most communities require a flat percentage for all qualified developments in their inclusionaryzoning policies. (Highland Park's ordinance, for example, applies to developments of five or more homes and requires 20 percent of the homes in each qualified development to be affordable.)

After drafting its ordinance, St. Charles worked with S.B. Friedman & Company, a real estate advisory consultant, to analyze how the proposed ordinance would affect the bottom-line costs and profits for developers. The study concluded that most would choose to build the homes on site, and the cost offsets built into the ordinance (density bonus, fee waivers, etc.) would make the construction of affordable homes financially viable for most developers. The St. Charles Housing Commission then met with a variety of stakeholders, including the school and park districts, local developers, and other real estate professionals to discuss the merits of the policies and solicit feedback.

These two pieces of legislation are the result of several years of hard work by St. Charles to address the decreasing supply of housing for moderate- income workers, a negative consequence of the city's strong local housing market and desirable location. In 2003, responding in part to the workforce housing challenges surfaced through the region's first employer-assisted housing program with local manufacturer System Sensor, MPC began working with St. Charles to develop a housing action plan . This plan was designed to promote more housing options consistent with the Housing Endorsement Criteria created by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and adopted by the St. Charles City Council. The plan provides a series of recommended steps to create new mixed-income developments, preserve and upgrade the existing affordable housing stock, and leverage county, state, federal, and other resources to support local workforce housing developments and programs. St. Charles Mayor Donald DeWitte, Ald. Betsy Penny, and the St. Charles Housing Commission, chaired by St. Charles resident and affordable housing developer Cindy Holler, have led the charge to make these recommendations a reality.

The St. Charles Inclusionary Zoning ordinance applies to both rental and for-sale developments, as follows:

Development Size (# of homes)	% required  affordable	In-lieu fee provision*
1-10	5%	Optional for all
11-50	10%	Optional for 50%
50+	15%	Only optional for 50% if demonstrates "hardship"

*The current calculated in-lieu fee is $140,000 per unit required by the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, but not built on site. For the portion of the requirement that allowed to be satisfied by the payment of a fee in-lieu, any fraction will be used in calculating the total fee in lieu to be paid by the Developer. For example, for a development of five units, the affordable requirement is five percent (see above). Five percent of five units is Ό or .25. So, the amount the developer would pay in-lieu of building the affordable home on site would be $35,000 or ($140,000 x .25).

For rental developments, the inclusionary homes must be affordable to households earning between 50 and 60 percent of the Chicago Area Median Income. In 2007, the income for a family four that would qualify for these apartments would be between $37,700 to 45,240 annually. The rental prices will be based on each qualified family's ability to pay up to 30 percent of its income on housing costs.

Affordable rental apartments created under the St. Charles Inclusionary Zoning policy will be affordable in perpetuity.

In for-sale developments, the inclusionary homes must be affordable to households earning 80 percent of the Chicago Area Median Income. In 2007, the income for a family of four that would qualify to purchase an affordable home would be at or below $59,600 annually. The for-sale price would also be based on a family's ability to pay up to 30 percent of its income on housing costs. These new homes will provide opportunities for working families to live and work in St. Charles.

For-sale opportunities created under the Ordinance will be price restricted for the first seven years. After seven years, then the owner shares a percentage of the equity earned on the property with the City of St. Charles upon the sale at the regular market price. Both the percentage of equity paid by a seller and the in-lieu fee initially paid by the developer will go into the city's newly established Housing Trust Fund.

While monumental, these policies are still just part of the equation in St.Charles. Moving forward, the St. Charles' Housing Commission will look to reach out to employers to solicit their investment in affordable housing for the local workforce, work with Kane County to look at developing additional resources, explore local tools such as tax increment financing (TIF) and local bond authority to generate new revenue sources for affordable housing, and review exiting building codes to ensure that they aren't cost prohibitive to affordable housing construction.

MPC is pleased to congratulate St. Charles on its perseverance and leadership!

Groups around the country are striving at the local level to increase quality housing options near jobs, transit, retail, and good schools. They will benefit from the new private sector partners, resources and leadership this bill can provide.

Modeled on lessons learned in Illinois -- where over 1,200 employees have been able to purchase homes with employer assistance in recent years -- and other localities promoting employer-assisted housing (EAH), this legislation proposes a $.50 federal tax credit on every dollar an employer invests in EAH, including down payment and rental assistance and housing counseling. To ensure the program is successful and hassle-free for the employer, the legislation provides initial support to the nonprofit housing agencies that administer the program for employers and provide professional and confidential counseling services to participating employees. The legislation also excludes as taxable income the housing support employees receive from the employers.

Illinois has learned a great deal about the bottom-line business value of affordable, workforce housing. We have also seen meaningful outcomes -- both in terms of employees served and responsive housing policy change at the state and local level. This is precisely the sort of activity needed at the national level. For more information on EAH achievements and accomplishments in Illinois, or to pursue an EAH initiative within your community or company, please visit REACH Illinois. 

The federal bill is currently co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate (S.1078) by Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) -- and in the U.S. House (H.R.1850) by Nydia Velasquez (D-N.Y.), Joe Baca (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore(D-Wis.), Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas), Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), Charles A Gonzalez (D-Texas), Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.).

We hope you or your organization will endorse this bill and encourage your legislators -- as well as your national colleagues and counterparts -- to support it. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, and the Senate Finance Committee will review this bill, so please reach out to those individuals in particular to urge their support. Wherever you live, feel free to personalize the sample letter. Illinois residents can use MPC's e-advocacy center to send messages directly to their congressional representatives. Please sign on to indicate your support of the bill.

While housing professionals and policymakers struggle to support the millions of Americans affected by the subprime meltdown, now -- perhaps more than ever -- the country needs creative strategies for leveraging new resources for homebuyer education and counseling. Increasingly, employers see their self interest in investing in such counseling, and assisting their own employees from experiencing the kind of instability that results from predatory lending and potential foreclosure. Examples of model employer-assisted housing programs around the country are featured in a new publication by Homes for Working Families. MPC was pleased to co-author this guidebook, available at  www.homesforworkingfamilies.org.

A new guidebook is available - including a number of case studies of model EAH programs around the country. MPC was pleased to work on this publication with Homes for Working Families.

EAH programs continue to prove themselves win-win-win initiatives: employers benefit by building employee loyalty and reducing turnover. Employees gain access to homeownership education and down payment assistancetopurchase a home. And the communitybenefits fromincreased real estate tax revenues, a growing population of stable homeowners and less traffic and air pollution as workers buy homes closer to work.

The Metropolitan Planning Council's involvement in employer-assisted housing began with just one manufacturer in 2000. That successful program led to the creation of Illinois matching funds and tax credits and more than 60 more employer sign-ons and new small business consortia by the end of 2006. More than 2,000 employees have been counseled, with over 1,200 successful buyers. An estimated $1.7 million in employer dollars went to help employees purchase homes in Illinois in 2006.

In addition to the numerous employees who have benefited from their employer's program, the Council has found EAH has helped accomplish many strategic successes in the housing policy arena .

Since 2000, the Chicago-area mayors created a housing task force, the state of Illinois adopted its first housing plan and passed various pieces of meaningful legislation to advance that Plan. In all cases, EAH and participating employers were key to success. EAH has been a door-opener, engaging business leaders and policymakers in discussions about housing needs without fear of community opposition shutting the door to such conversation. These conversations have already led to such meaningful steps as municipalities approving inclusionary housing ordinances, land trusts, new affordable housing developments in expensive, job-rich areas, and new investments in distressed communities .

To encourage more EAH programs nationwide, we are supporting the "Housing America's Workforce Act of 2007" (H.R. 1850 and S. 1078) and offering technical assistance to help local communities, organizations, and employers get successful EAH programs up and running.

Examine data on who has benefited: 2006 Year-End REACH Report

Review recent media attention to employer-assisted housing.

Lots more EAH Information is available.

To learn how employer-assisted housing can benefit companies, employees, and local communities in the City of Chicago, click here.

A National League of Cities newsletter  features an article by Robin Snyderman.

"Right at Home: Local Support for Employer-Assisted Housing"offers suggestions for municipal and county leaders to support EAH initiatives.

Employer-Assisted Housing Breakfast at The Chicago Club hosted by Mayor Daley, February 8, 2004

As employers participating in EAH programs have recognized the importance of quality housing options for their workers, they have taken the opportunity to support good housing policiy. Following are links to employers testifying before House Urban Revitalization Committee about Illinois housing needs.

• Brenda Mitchell, Advocate Bethany Hospital
• Brian Finch, Bank One

Chicago Metropolis 2020 published housing policy recommendations, " Recommendations for Developing Attainable Workforce Housing in the Chicago Region."

Learn about model homeownership programs in Housing for a Competitive Workforce: Homeownership Models that Work

Closer to Home

Maintaining the region's well being is comparable to keeping a home in good repair: as soon as one renovation project is completed, something else needs attention. Last week, the region celebrated as Springfield finally approved a long-term funding solution to the region's transit operating crisis. Now, as local, regional and state leaders prepare to turn their attention to the 2008 to-do list, MPC will highlight key agenda items at a media briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 12 , from noon to 1:30 p.m., at MPC's offices, 25 E. Washington St., Suite1600.

MPC experts will provide background and forecasts on critical regional issues expected to be debated this year, including:

• a state capital investment plan for roads and bridges, transit and freight, housing and schools;
• innovative financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects, such as public-private partnerships and congestion pricing;
• a statewide framework for managing water resources; and
• new state leadership for planning in Illinois.

They'll also discuss how the elections can help call national attention to the concerns of metropolitanChicago 's residents and businesses. And they'll explain how changed policies will affect stories currently making headlines, including the housing market's turndown, the global energy crisis, andChicago's Olympics hopes. To register, contact MPC Assistant Communications Director Mandy Burrell, 312.863.6018, mburrell@metroplanning.org.

Individuals Strengthening Chicago Schools to Share Successes at MPC Roundtable

Join MPC on Thursday, Jan. 24 , as we continue our Roundtable Series featuring neighbor-led community revitalization efforts. Parents and school administrators from three Chicago communities will discuss how they've forged partnerships to strengthen their school communities at a luncheon discussion, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, John Buck Company Lecture Hall, 224 S.Michigan Ave., 1st Floor Lobby,Chicago.

Henry S. Webber, vice president for community and government affairs at the University of Chicago and an MPC board member, will moderate a panel of parents and school administratorsfrom Chicago's LincolnSquare, Little Village, and Austin communities.

This roundtable is co-hosted with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and generously sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cost for MPC donors is $15; cost for non-donors is $30. Members of the media may attend free of charge. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact MPC Assistant Communications Director Mandy Burrell, 312 .863.6018, mburrell@metroplanning.org.

St. Charles Set to Vote on Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, Housing Trust Fund

The west suburban City of St. Charles keeps moving one step closer toward approving an inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund, both of which would help preserve and create more affordable housing in the community. In February, the St. Charles City Council is scheduled to vote on the measure, which was approved unanimously by the Planning and Zoning Committee on Jan. 14.

If the measure is approved, St. Charles will join a small, but influential group of cities (includingChicago, Lake Forest and Highland Park) that have instituted similar measures to ensure they have a mix of housing at all price points available to local residents.

"St. Charles is part of a growing number of cities in our region that not only have acknowledged how important it is to have homes affordable to local residents and workers, but that also have taken actions to balance their housing stock," said Joanna Trotter, manager of MPC's Community Building Initiative , which helped the city draft the measures. "An inclusionary zoning ordinance and housing trust fund are the first two of several new tools and resources the city is considering to preserve affordable housing in St. Charles, and help leverage private sector investment to create new affordable homes."

For more information about what the ordinance and trust fund could mean for St.Charles, and the region, contact Trotter at 312-863-6008, or jtrotter@metroplanning.org.

Joanna Trotter, Manager, MPC Community Building Initiative

My New Year's resolution is to foster greater cooperation between communities in the region.

My hope for our region is that we begin to work across municipal boundaries for the greater economic and social well being of the entire Chicagoland area. Toward this end, I will help communities work together to pool resources in order to create high-quality affordable housing in areas with good job opportunities, such as the north and northwest satellite cities.

I also will work with communities that are jointly attracting new economic development and investments to areas that historically have struggled to bring in new business, industry, and quality jobs, such as those along the Calumet River. By working together and not competing, communities will be more apt to identify their individual strengths and unique place in our regional market and will collectively attract resources and use them more efficiently.

Michael McLaughlin, Director of Regional Policy and Transportation

With federal and state transportation dollars flat-lining and losing their purchasing power, we need to find ways to stretch those dollars even further. "Congestion pricing" is a mechanism proven worldwide to manage demand for roads and other transportation modes. In 2008, cities such as New York, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle likely will join the growing ranks of metropolitan areas that will implement congestion pricing.

The Chicago region should develop and coalesce around a comprehensive congestion pricing strategy this year, so that 2009 will become the year of implementation of congestion pricing in the region. MPC will explore the possibilities for congestion pricing in our region by partnering with the Toll Highway Authority to study the effects of congestion pricing on Chicagoland's toll road network. MPC also will establish peer exchanges and forums with other cities around the nation and world to highlight best practices with regard to congestion pricing and related transit and road improvements.

Karin Sommer , Associate

The focus for my first year at MPC will be on creating and sustaining great places in Chicago. Three projects specifically address this goal: Placemaking; A New North Lawndale; and our emerging transit-oriented development initiative.

The Placemaking project will establish a curriculum for creating and maintaining great public spaces in Chicago through the production of a guidebook, trainings, and technical assistance to Chicago neighborhood groups.

A New North Lawndale deals with street design, using the redevelopment of Ogden Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly corridor as a catalyst for change inChicago's North Lawndale community.

The transit-oriented development initiative will build upon our successfulJan. 10th roundtable, "Within Our Reach: Your World in Half a Mile," to encourage and implement more development near transit inChicago.

Katherine Bucar , Graphic Design Associate

I resolve to streamline MPC's communication to board, donors, partners, and friends; and further develop MPC's targeted electronic communications. In 2008, MPC will increase the availability of our information online – and, in so doing, reduce paper waste! Beginning later this month, we will introduce a new monthly e-mail newsletter that consolidates two existing communiquιs, and complements our printed, tri-annual Regional Connection newsletter, as well as our quarterly reports to the board.

Lillie Jernigan, Consultant, Employer-Assisted Housing

In 2008, I'm excited to continue building on the momentum from the work MPC started in 2007 under the Charter One Workforce Housing Initiative in Chicago's northwest and northern suburbs. Partnering with 10 municipalities and not-for-profit housing experts, the traction for this initiative is strong and will continue to grow this year as we work with area employers to develop public-private housing resources for area families.

Under this initiative in the northwest suburbs of Mt. Prospect, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, and Buffalo Grove, the partner is Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC). HODC is also the main partner in the northern suburbs of Deerfield, Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Forest , and Northbrook , along with the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC).

In addition to convening employers through unified outreach, several of these communities are moving forward with their own unique contributions to the supply of affordable workforce housing. Throughout 2008, I will be working closely with municipal staff and our housing expert partners to take employer interest and activity around workforce housing in these communities to the next level.

Josh Ellis, Community Building Associate

By improving MPC's research, analysis, and presentation capabilities, I hope to help communities better understand and visualize the steps they can take to make more equitable, sustainable and sensible choices about the future. Between our publications, such as the forthcoming Housing 1-2-3; the hands-on training workshops that go with them; and original research and analysis, my hope is that any kind of community – from fast-growing suburbs to more established, yet disinvested, communities – will be better equipped to tackle any development challenge.

Kristi DeLaurentiis, Manager of Local Government and Community Relations

Many municipalities have moved ahead on their plans to create livable, vibrant communities. Some, following extensive planning processes, are already implementing the forward-looking strategies that are needed to get them there. Others are learning from their neighbors in the region or looking elsewhere across the globe, what it takes to tackle particularly thorny challenges that impact residents and businesses.

My New Year's resolution is to showcase Illinois communities leading the way, where planning and innovative strategies make a difference in the character of the place and people's lives; and examine measures that can help others along the way.

To give participants a feel for tackling a development scenario that is becoming all too familiar in the Chicago region, they were asked to plan a housing deelopment in Oakwood, a fictional suburban community with an aging rental development in need of redevelopment (rendering below).  Participants were assigned a role - mayor, market-rate developer, affordable housing developer, etc. - and challenged to create a deal that met with approval.  They were provided with several new tools, the "Good Housing, Good Schools" bonus, IHDA's new "AHPAA-At-Risk" Point, and an interjurisdictional housing trust fund (similar to the ARCH model from Washington state), as well as more standard options such as Tax Increment Financing, land donation, and density bonuses.

Previous forums also stressed the value of cooperation, but this year's session was a valuable exercise in forming partnerships and hammering out the give-and-take needed to create consensus.  In parting, participants received a draft chapter from the upcoming Housing 1-2-3: A Workbook for Local Officials and Community Leaders and were asked to review it through the lens of the day.  The chapter detailed past collaborations from around the region, such as Highland Park's Hyacinth Place (pictured below), a 14-home, mixed-income development that resulted from a partnership between the Highland Park Community Land Trust, Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, and Brinshore Development.

After 90 minutes of avid discussion, each group had reached consensus.  While each group produced a unique deal, there were several similarities between them:

• They preserved rental opportunities, but created a greater mix of homes and wider price range.
• Local employers invested in their workforce through Employer-Assisted Housing.
• Transit-oriented development effectively captured the real estate value of transit stations.
• New and old incentives, when paired, reduced overall development costs and produced a healthy bottom line.
• New tools, particularly the "Good Housing, Good Schools" bonus and the interjurisidictional housing trust fund, were very effectively used to build community support and leverage needed resources.
• Market-rate and affordable housing developers partnered to create mixed-income, and often mixed-use, housing opportunities.
• When possible, existing buildings were preserved or rehabilitated.
• Cooperation between the public and private spheres was an effective strategy for building and preserving affordable homes.

For more information on this annual series or on Housing 1-2-3, contact Josh Ellis, MPC community development associate, at (312) 863-6045 or jellis@metroplanning.org; or Beth Dever, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus housing director, at (312) 201-4507 or beth.dever@mayorscaucus.org.

We're happy to announce16 additional case studies have been added for 2007. 

Home Grown shows municipal officials and housing developers how their peers are working on housing issues, and provides ideas for replicating or improving upon these approaches to address their own local housing challenges.  This collection demonstrates there are many innovative local housing efforts occurring in our region.  This document is meant to be a "living" resource, and it will be updated annually with new examples of housing best practices across the region.  This year's inserts were researched and written by Elana Berenson of Chicago Metropolis 2020.

Home Grown includes such topics as housing affordability, preservation and rehabilitation, inspection policies, accessibility, homeownership programs, and fair housing.  For instance, Joliet's Local Homestead Program uses funds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to provide housing opportunities for low and moderate-income families and improve property conditions in Joliet.  Seven new housing developments have been added in 2007, including Park Forest's Legacy Square (pictured above), which resulted from a partnership between Park Forest and Bigelow Homes.  Once the site of a defunct shopping mall, Legacy Square has rejuventaed Park Forest's downtown and is a model for other communities.

If you would like a hard copy of the 2007 updates or of the entire Home Grown publication, or you would like to suggest a local housing development, policy, or program to be included in future editions, please contact Beth Dever with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (312/201-4507; beth.dever@mayorscaucus.org), Nancy Firfer with Chicago Metropolis 2020 (312/332-2020; mailnancy.l.firfer@cm2020.org), or Josh Ellis with the Metropolitan Planning Council (312/863-6045; jellis@metroplanning.org).

More than 100 stakeholders and residents representing Chicago's Near North, Near West, and Mid-South sides participated in the launch, which also drew representatives from the Chicago departments of Transportation and Planning and Development, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Ill. Dept. of Transportation, and RTA. A number of state and local elected officials attended the half-day convening, including Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward), Ill. Sens. Kwame Raoul and Mattie Hunter, and Ill. Rep. Ken Dunkin.

ShoreBank Vice Chairman Todd Brown, a member of MPC's Board of Governors, who co-chairs Reconnecting Neighborhoods with DPD Commissioner Arnold Randall, said the public and private sector involvement demonstrated at the launch event is what's necessary to tackle the tough questions this project intends to tackle.

"Some of you may be sitting here wondering why we should start such an effort when we are in the middle of a funding crisis at both the state and the local level, especially regarding our transit system," Brown said. "My answer would be that funding problems are only symptomatic of deeper systemic issues, there is no better time to reassess assets and resources than in a crisis, and Reconnecting Neighborhoods is a step toward adjusting how we think about the cost and management of transit, retail, urban development, public services."

"This Reconnecting Neighborhoods planning process will lead to recommendations for specific improvement," explained Randall. "It will also provide an opportunity for neighbors to meet each other – and with officials from city and state agencies – to create a genuine consensus on how to rebuild these neighborhoods around their strengths."

The Partnership for New Communties, a project partner and supporter, has prepared a summary of the Reconnecting Neighborhoods launch, available on the PNC Web site.

The November 6th event was only the beginning of Reconnecting Neighborhoods. Moving forward, MPC will be working closely with the residents, employers and elected officials in the three neighborhoods to develop recommendations for access to transit, jobs and other essential opportunities that reflect their collective vision of what their neighborhoods can be.

To learn more about the Reconnecting Neighborhoods project, visit www.reconnectingneighborhoods.org.

Global warming has sent society's conscientious consumers scrambling for low-carbon fuels and hybrid vehicles – but will these individual choices, however noble, add up to a more sustainable region? Not likely, according to Growing Cooler , a groundbreaking report recently published by the Urban Land Institute that pegs the cause of our ever-growing fuel dependency not on the type of car we drive or what we pump into it, but on development patterns leaving people with little choice but to drive more every year.

Growing Cooler author Reid Ewing ? a former Arizona state legislator turned professor at the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland - will present findings from his study at an MPC roundtable on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Mayer Brown, 71 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago. He'll explain why community planning and design are critical to reducing the need to drive, and with it, carbon fuel emissions, a key contributor to global warming; and he'll address how metropolitan Chicago and Illinois can do their part to halt our climate crisis. Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and Sadhu Johnston, chief environmental officer of the City ofChicago, will respond to Reid's findings and identify local applications.

Guests are required to register with Pam Lee at plee@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6011; or at MPC's Web site, www.metroplanning.org. Cost is $15 for MPC members, $30 for nonmembers, and includes lunch. A picture I.D. is required to enter the building. Members of the media may attend at no cost and should contact MPC Communications Associate Mandy Burrell at mburrell@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6018.

Miracle on 138th Street: Riverdale Development Begins Long-Awaited Renovation

If you believe in miracles, this is your season – and this may be your story: officials in Riverdale have broken ground on the the multi-million dollar community redevelopment effort transforming one of the region's poorest and most crime-ridden communities into the new, mixed-income community Whistler's Crossing.

South suburban Riverdale – with an estimated population of 14, 418 –has long been known for its well-maintained single-family homes on tree-lined streets. Yet the 90 or so historic homes in a neighborhood once known as Pacesetter have long been deteriorated. What's more, the entire community area north of 138th Street, south of the rail yards, east of Lowe Avenue, and due west of Eggleston Avenue has been a hotbed for crime and poverty in an otherwise stable village.

The first phase of the project will consist of restoring the 90 homes and upgrading the wider community area. Whistler's Crossing will be a mixed-income haven where businesses, homeowners, and renters can co-exist harmoniously. Riverdale Mayor Zenovia Evans – a former resident of Pacesetter – has called the community's revitalization "a dream come true."

To learn more about Whistler's Crossing, contact MPC Community Building Initiative Manager Joanna Trotter, 312-863-6008, or jtrotter@metroplanning.org .

HB 2353 Adds Affordable Housing to Illinois ' Capital Investment Strategy

As the number of victims of mortgage foreclosures continues to rise, destabilizing renters as well as homeowners, the State of Illinois is taking a major step forward to combat the shortage of quality affordable housing options statewide. For the first time in state history, HB 2353 authorizes the Illinois Housing Development Authority to use state capital fund dollars to create and preserve affordable homes in Illinois for low-income and very low-income households.

"Ensuring every community in Illinois has a well-balanced housing stock benefits all of us, from businesses, hospitals and schools that rely on their employees being able to find homes near work, to families that don't want to have to move further out to find a home they can afford," said MPC Housing Director RobinSnyderman. "By making affordable housing preservation and development a key element in the state's capital investment plan, Illinois has a tremendous opportunity to more strategically link the development of affordable homes to job centers and transportation options – hopefully reducing our congestion headaches as well!"

The bill was approved by the General Assembly in November and awaits the governor's signature. Snyderman noted that the bill provides yet another impetus for state legislators to approve a new state capital plan to fund roads, bridges, transit, schools and, now, homes. The state's last capital plan expired in 2004. For more information, contact Snyderman at 312-863-6007 or rsnyderman@metroplanning.org.

Meet the MPC Staff
Connect with MPC Reconnecting Neighborhoods Manager Brandon Johnson

A native of Chicago 's South Side, MPC's Brandon Johnson is thrilled to be making a difference in his community – and two others on the city's West and North sides – every day through his role as MPC project manager of Reconnecting Neighborhoods. The project, which kicked off in early November, invites residents of three mixed-income Chicago communities to participate in the planning for their future. The project will result in recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public infrastructure in the Near North, Near West and Mid-South neighborhoods.

"Growing up on the South Side, I saw and encountered lots of problems related to housing, transportation, and commerce, so to actually have a chance to be part of the solution is an amazing opportunity," said Johnson regarding his new role, which he began this July after spending two years with the Illinois General Assembly.

With a bachelor's degree in political science from Morehouse College and non-terminal studies in political and cultural theory at the University of Chicago, Johnson is well suited to coordinate Reconnecting Neighborhoods for MPC. The project is led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development, with support from the Regional Transportation Authority and MPC. HNTB, a planning firm, will handle the project's technical work and research. Stay tuned in the coming months, when each community's Local Task Force will hold a series of meetings to weigh in on community issues such as transportation, retail and job opportunities. Contact Johnson at 312-863-6046 or bjohnson@metroplanning.org.

Learn more by contacting Mandy Burrell, MPC communications associate, at 312-863-6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org, or by visiting www.metroplanning.org.

"For London, hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is about much more than even a great summer of sport. It offers a unique opportunity to change our capital city for the better, leaving a legacy of transformation and hope for decades to come," said Jowell, a driving force behind London's successful bid for the 2012 Games. "Our door is open and our knowledge and experience available to all the cities bidding to receive the Olympic and Paralympic baton from us in 2012 – and beyond. I am very happy to be able to discuss our experiences with the people of Chicago as part of that commitment."

Jowell was introduced by James Clark, Britain's newly appointed Consul General forChicago. Her insights about the wider benefits of hosting the Olympics – such as the opportunity to bolster a city's housing, transportation and neighborhood assets – were an inspiring message for the crowd of decision-makers gathered for MPC's major annual fundraising event on Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

"Tessa Jowell's remarks serve as an excellent reminder that as we compete for the 2016 Olympic Games, we can build upon the successes of experienced host cities," said MarySue Barrett, president of MPC. "Our plans not only should capture the imagination of the International Olympic Committee and world, but also make our region more competitive in the global economy."

"Chicago is a city forged by bold plans, from Daniel Burnham's 1909 vision that has shaped our Lakefront and boulevards to the city's dramatic front yard,Millennium Park," said Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO, Chicago 2016. "Bidding for the 2016 Olympics is an opportunity to bring out the best in our city and to build a legacy forChicago's next 100 years."

At the event, MPC also presented its 2007 Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning, including a cash prize of $5,000 underwritten by National City Bank, to five northwest Indiana communities for The Marquette Plan: The Lakeshore Reinvestment Strategy. Together with U.S. Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-Ind.), the leaders of East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Portage and Whiting, Ind., pooled $200,000 in local and federal resources to conduct the initial study to address a difficult challenge: attracting new market investments in communities long-defined by industry. The Marquette Plan outlines a strategy to bring jobs and retail opportunities to the beachfront communities of Northwest Indiana, while protecting and enhancing ourregion's greatestnatural resource,Lake Michigan .

"Our position on Lake Michigan grows more valuable each day, and the Marquette Plan will leverage this tremendous resource to create new jobs, new recreation, and new economicdevelopment in Northwest Indiana," said U.S. Rep. Visclosky. "I applaud the lakefront citiesof EastChicago, Gary,Hammond, Portage and Whiting for their support of the Marquette Plan."

For 19 years, MPC's Burnham Award has recognized forward-thinking plans and projects in the Chicago region. On behalf of the five communities and U.S. Rep. Visclosky, A.J. Monroe, director of community development for the City ofPortage, accepted the award from Joseph A. Gregoire, president and CEO, Illinois Banking, National City Bank; and member, MPC Board of Governors.

"The Marquette Plan represents the power of individual communities working together to make the biggest impact," said Gregoire. "Individual efforts on the part of each of these communities are commendable, but together and with the support of U.S. Rep. Visclosky and the private sector, these five communities have been able to leverage impressive resources to shape a brighter future for the entire region."

Such work exemplifies the power of collaboration, a hallmark of MPC since its founding at the Century of Progress World's Fair in 1934. By working together with a range of partners – from city, suburban and county governments to community organizations and developers – MPC is helping ensure everyone who lives and works in metropolitan Chicago can prosper as part of a world-class region, according to MPC Board Chair Lee M. Mitchell, partner, Thoma Cressy Bravo, Inc. MPC develops, promotes and implements policies and strategies to achieve this goal, such as improving access to transportation options, increasing state funding for education, and assisting communities in developing a range of homes that accommodate people at all stages in life.

Mitchell also shared some of MPC's 2007 highlights, including the following:

• With the International Council of Shopping Centers, Campaign for Sensible Growth, and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, MPC published Retail 1-2-3 , the third in a series of planning workbooks for local officials and community leaders.
• As part of a broader effort to craft a redevelopment strategy for the City of Joliet 's East Side , MPC recommended ways to strengthen the community's housing and retail markets. This is just one of more than 20 communities MPC has provided hands-on development assistance to in the past few years.
• MPC's Community Building Initiative has launched Reconnecting Neighborhoods to bring access and opportunity to three mixed-income communities in Chicago .
• Five regions across the U.S. , including Mississippi 's Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast , have engaged MPC in helping them start employer-assisted housing (EAH) programs. This summer, the Chicago area celebrated its 1,000 th EAH homebuyer.
• The MPC-led Good Housing Good Schools Act, signed into law in August, gives a financial boost to school districts that welcome multi-family housing, a practical solution to the jobs-housing mismatch.

Mitchell also welcomed newly elected members of its Board of Governors: Vincent Cordero, vice president and general manager, Univision Television Group; Michael Moore, managing director, head of Chicago capital markets, Lehman Brothers; Stephen M. Porras, vice president, acquisitions, affordable housing, Related Midwest; and James P. Stirling, director, UBS; and newly appointed Resource Board members Christopher B. Burke, president, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.; and Karla O. Teasley, president, Illinois American Water.

The MPC 2007 Annual Meeting Luncheon was made possible by Honorary Co-Chairs Mayor Richard M. Daley, City of Chicago; James Clark, Her Majesty's Consul General, Chicago; and Patrick G. Ryan, executive chairman, Aon Corporation; as well as Presenting Event Chair Joseph A. Gregoire, president and CEO, Illinois Banking, National City Bank. National City was Presenting Sponsor for this year's luncheon, wit