Cities address housing needs

A recent Christian Science Monitor article highlighted St. Charles, Ill.'s employer-assisted housing initiative, which MPC helped design.

By Samantha DeKoven
January 23, 2003

In its Dec. 24, 2002 edition, the Christian Science Monitor highlighted the City of St. Charles' employer-assisted housing initiative in an article "Cities take on housing crunch, creatively."

The article points to initiatives around the country, including:

Kentucky is using unclaimed lottery funds to build homes for low-income people to buy.
Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut are collaborating with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to renovate crumbling and abandoned homes for working people.
Mayors in the Chicago area are offering incentives to employers to help their lower- and middle-income workers with housing costs.

"In the greater Chicago area," the article explains, "town mayors have banded together to encourage employers to help lower- and middle-income workers with down payments by offering matching grants.

"The City of St. Charles, Ill., an affluent suburb with about 30,000 people, has also decided to act as model for other employers. Starting in January, it will offer up to $5,000 to help with closing costs and the down payments for clerks, police officers, and firefighters who fall below the area's median income of $57,000.

"Housing's become very expensive here, and we want our employees to be able to live near where they work," says Michelle Ribant, a community planner who works for the city.'

The City of St. Charles is working with the non-profit Joseph Corporation to implement the employer-assisted housing initiative for municipal workers.

The Village of Riverdale is also offering down payment assistance to Village employees purchasing homes within the community. Click here for more information on Riverdale's program.

The City of Evanston is considering implementing an employer-assisted housing initiative, as well. The proposal has received the support of the Housing Commission and will be reviewed by the Planning and Development Committee of the City Council.