It looks to be a tense new year of choice for a number of Lake County communities: Increase affordable housing units or fall behind state regulations.

The right choice shouldn’t be that hard to fathom for the elected officials in some 15 municipalities which lack affordable housing after being named by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. It’s been acknowledged for years that across Lake County economical housing is needed for young and old who want to stay in their hometowns; raise their kids where they grew up; live close to their jobs.

Those folks have seen housing costs grow rapidly out of their budget ranges as once-reasonably priced housing stocks have gone upscale. Those moves have put homeownership out of the reach of many.

Municipal employees, teachers, workers in the service sector and others can’t afford to live where they work, adding to commute times. Plans to increase the supply of affordable housing may occupy much of 2024 for those on the IHDA’s “naughty/haughty” list of 44 communities across Illinois.

In Lake County, towns missing the grade for affordable housing include Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Long Grove, Lincolnshire and more, according to a page-one News-Sun story last week by Chloe Hilles. Lake County cities and villages make up a third of those on the IHDA roll-call.

A 2003 state law mandates that local governments are to develop affordable housing plans if their supply of affordable units dips below 10% of their entire housing stock. However, there are no teeth in the regulations to force municipalities to comply with the top minimum figure.

Ironically, Libertyville officials earlier this month rejected a proposal for an attainable housing ordinance. The abandonment of the Libertyville plan erased more than three years of studying the issue by a volunteer human relations panel.

This despite the cost of homes in the village rising exponentially and Libertyville seeing increasing teardowns, like in the Copeland Manor area off Rockland Road, west of the Des Plaines River; and in well-established, older neighborhoods. Once-starter homes are being replaced with McMansions.

At the same time, housing costs are rising faster than wages. That means a higher percentage of income is needed for homeownership or rent, state officials note.

The ordinance dismissed by village officials had proposed new construction should have at least 15% of available units priced at affordable rates. Libertyville officials say they don’t need an affordable-housing law; the village can work with developers to increase the number of affordable housing units.

Yet, no guidelines or measurements exist in the village. There are no specific goals to ensure Libertyville has a sturdy stock of affordable housing.

For those of us around back in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the action was a flash of déjà vu.

Then, hometown developer William DeBruler, with state funding backing the proposal, came up with a plan for an affordable housing complex at the south end of Libertyville, at Milwaukee Avenue and Green Tree Parkway. That portion of the village was in its first burst of commercial and residential activity.

A decorated Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, DeBruler was immediately castigated by nearby residents and village officials. Those complaining said multifamily housing units would lower property values. His plan for reasonably-priced apartments was withdrawn and surfaced later in Gurnee, on DeLany Road, south of Sunset Avenue.

Still, Libertyville’s affordable housing supply has dropped to 9.3% in the latest IHDA survey necessitating an affordable housing plan from the village. In 2018, the village’s affordable supply was at 15.4%.

Besides opposition from established homeowners, there are other challenges to providing affordable housing. Low-cost land and funding among them.

The village has one project which could see as much as 20% of a 250-unit apartment complex be set aside for attainable housing. The development is another of several that have been proposed for the old Trimm manufacturing property, off Lake Street and near the Metra station.

Lake County Partners, the public-private partnership that supports business growth, has found new housing construction countywide is falling behind population growth. A study earlier this year sponsored by the group determined Lake County needs 1,200 housing units for seniors with incomes less than $50,000, and an additional 6,700 units for families making less than $75,000 per year.

Currently, most of the affordable housing stock is centered along the county’s northeastern portion: Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion. Many of those who live in the tri-cities work in the towns cited by the IHDA. Also needing affordable housing are senior citizens who may not want to join the elderly exodus to warmer climes or less-taxing states.

We shall see which of the communities try for affordable housing plans in 2024.

Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.

sellenews@gmail.com.

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