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Politics & Government

Lake Forest Considers Partnership With Agency To Assist Scattered Site Affordable Housing Program

Community Partners for Affordable Housing has history in Highland Park.

The gave a preliminary presentation of a pilot program to purchase blighted homes within the city for scattered site affordable housing units at Monday night's City Council meeting.

Based on a recommendation last year by the , the committee is tasked with finding affordable housing opportunities within Lake Forest. The program will support the acquisition of two existing single-family homes in the city to be rehabilitated for long-term owner occupied affordable housing units.

To assist their efforts, the Housing Trust has proposed partnering with Community Partners for Affordable Housing, a regional not-for-profit agency that has worked with other neighboring municipalities, including Highland Park, on similar scatter-site affordable housing projects.

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“This is a pilot program that comes to you over a considerable period of time and after many conversations with the Community Partner for Affordable Housing,” explained Third Ward Alderman Tom Morsch, who serves as a city liaison on the Housing Trust Committee.

The initial investment for the purchase of the two homes will cost approximately $175,000, which includes $25,000 to pay a one-time fee that will go toward Community Partners for Affordable Housing for the pilot program. All funding will come exclusively from the Housing Trust Fund.

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Through the new program, once restored, the homes will be available for sale to one of the priority groups that has been established by the city council: Lake Forest seniors, non-senior residents, or employees of local employers such as or .

In order for a family of four to qualify to purchase one of the homes, the buyer would need to have an annual income that does not exceed $60,000 per year.

However, once the home is purchased, the household income may increase.

The Community Partnership for Affordable Housing has already successfully sold 35 single family homes in Highland Park, according to Rob Anthony, executive director of Community Partners for Affordable Housing, who was present Monday night to answer questions from council members. 

“They are mostly young families who’ve come into the community, and want to stay,” explained Anthony. “Some have experienced a death of a wage earner, have been through a divorce, or have grown up in the community and can’t afford to come back.”

The program is also designed to keep the homes affordable. If an owner decides to sell their home, a formula would be applied to the appreciation price to keep the resale price from becoming too high.

“The profit is capped so it stays affordable to future buyers,” Anthony said.

The city would have the right of first refusal to purchase the property if put up for sale.

The proposal was met with a mostly favorable response by the city council. However, during public comment Lake Forest resident Walt Nielsen called the program a “bait and switch,” saying the homes will not be made available to seniors.

“What this program is, is a program for families, not for seniors,” Nielsen said.

Nielsen also questioned why the city needed to go to an outside source to carry out their affordable housing goals.

“Why re-create something that’s already out there,” answered Mayor James Cowhey, as to why the city is considering partnering with Community Partners for Affordable Housing.

After review by the city’s legal counsel, a formal proposal on scattered site affordable housing could be brought to the city council at the May 2 meeting.

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