With limited state and federal resources, and growing demand for leadership and investment, suburban leaders gather at a MPC co-sponsored forum to explore how to work together to stabilize neighborhoods weakened by foreclosure.
For the fourth time in as many years, suburban mayors and developers gathered to strengthen joint efforts in tackling local housing challenges, this time with a particular focus on the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program and other foreclosure response tools.
Approximately 150 municipal leaders, single family homebuilders, and multifamily developers braved the bitter cold and snow, on January 28, to discuss “Rebuilding Neighborhoods Weakened by Foreclosures: Pursuing Optimal Strategies for Municipalities and Developers to Work Together” at the Federal Reserve Bank. Additional sponsors for this forum included the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Illinois Housing Council, Homebuilders Association of Greater Chicago, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning,Roosevelt University, and MPC.
In his introductory remarks, Northlake Mayor and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Chair Jeffrey T. Sherwin pulled no punches: “Today’s housing market is particularly challenging, and we need each other more than ever, if we are going to make headway on the focus of this forum, stabilizing neighborhoods weakened by foreclosures. So let’s be honest. Many municipalities would prefer to “go it alone,” distrusting whether developers indeed share their commitment to the community’s vision and goals. And many builders would just as soon bypass the community approval process, distrusting whether mayors indeed if understand that ‘time is money.’ But the truth is, the towns need the expertise of the building community as much as developers need the leadership and support of the mayors, councils, and key planning and community development staff.”
Nick Brunick, of the Illinois Housing Council and Applegate-Thorne Thompson, concurred with Mayor Sherwin, and added the need to work together goes beyond redevelopment work in everyone’s “own backyards,” but also includes the value of joint advocacy with state and federal policymakers. He stressed that the federal stimulus bill, upcoming tax and transportation bills, and our state capital plan are just some of the areas where regional leaders can be smarter about incorporating housing solutions. “If you’re a legislator and you hear that municipal leaders and private developers are recommending the same policy solution, you are much more willing to embrace that proposal.”
MPC moderated a brief panel discussion featuring Riverdale Mayor Zenovia Evans, co-chair of the MMC Housing Committee, developer Chris Donovan of Park Bank Initiatives, and attorney Peter Friedman of Holland and Knight, who each described very different case studies of neighborhoods weakened by foreclosure, and the ways municipal leaders did, did not, or still should work together to tackle the challenge.
Participants then broke into three groups to discuss their own “case studies” and challenges. Oak Park Village Pres. David Pope and developer Steve Porras co-facilitated the discussion on neighborhoods with concentrated single-family foreclosures. Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins, and MMC Housing Committee Co-Chair, and Community Investment Corporation Executive Director Jack Markowsk co-facilitated the discussion on condo developments or other larger properties in foreclosure. Lee Deuben of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Mark Angelini of S.B.. Friedman, co-facilitated the discussion on subdivisions or “planned neighborhoods” (with one master developer responsible for multiple properties) in foreclosure.
In his wrap-up remarks, Chicago Metropolis 2020 Executive Advisor and MPC Vice Chair King Harris noted how all of the break-out discussions affirmed the theme of the forum need for coordination. He stressed the emerging interest in interjurisdictional solutions and encouraged everyone to stay in touch with the various forum co-sponsors to align their advocacy messages related to the key policy areas outlined earlier by Nick Brunick. More information is available about policy outcomes of the past three annual gatherings of suburban mayors and developers -- in December ’05, December ’06, and December ’07 -- as well as the more recent efforts of regional partners (MMC, CMAP, CM2020 and MPC) to assist stakeholders navigate the new federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program.