MarySue Barrett of MPC and various MPC partners joined dozens of housing advocates, professionals and consumers in educating legislators on current housing needs.
To examine and assess legislation and policies affecting affordable housing
development and affordable housing resources in Illinois, the Illinois House
Urban Revitalization Committee hosted the four public hearings in Chicago,
Naperville, Springfiled and Rockford on September 5, September 19th, October 9th
and October 16th respectively.
For full text of the authorizing Resolution, click
here.
To read MPC's testimony, click
here.
To read testimony from Round Lake Park Mayor Ila Bauer, Chair of the
Lake County Municipal League and on the leaderhship team of the Metropolitan
Mayors Caucus Housing Task Force, click
here (Sept. 19, 2002, Naperville)
To read testimony from MPC Board Member King Harris,
Senior Executive Advisor with Chicago Metropolis 2020 and former EAH partner,
click
here
. (October 9, 2002, Springfield)
To read testimony of EAH Partner representative
Mark Lusson of Northwest Community Healthcare, click
here. (October 16, 2002, Rockford)
To read testimony of MPC Employer Assisted Housing (EAH) Partner representative Brenda Mitchell of Advocate Bethany
Hospital, click
here. (Sept. 5, 2002, Chicago)
To read testimony of EAH Partner rep Brian Finch of Bank One, click
here. (Sept. 19, 2002, Naperville)
Given the range of housing issues throughout the State, it
is encouraging to note the emergence of some common themes and priorities in
terms of recommendations for State Housing. Nearly all testimony spoke
to the need to step up the State's role in guiding housing policy and
programs, and coordinating the many entitities currently addressing various facets
of housing development, service delivery, planning, etc. Also surfacing
as a top priority was the need for the State to implement HB
4023 , providing financial and technical assistance
to municipalities planning for housing, and then
prioritizing infrastructure grant allocations to communities whose
plans not only address local and regional needs but also produce
housing accordingly. Other common themes were the need for more
rental capital and subsidy dollars, and incentives for more
public-private sector collaborations such as Employer-Assisted
Housing.