Home Grown
Local housing strategies in action
These case studies are part of the Homes for a Changing Region Toolkit, a guide for municipalities to create comprehensive housing plans. Each case study covers a housing policy, development, program, or financing strategy; how it works; why it was successful; and how it was funded. Case studies address a range of community housing issues, from affordability to accessibility and from property management to demolition.
Accessibility
- Accessibility/Visitability Requirements Bolingbrook, Will and DuPage Counties
Affordable housing and smart growth
- Multifamily Affordable Housing Policy Arlington Heights, Cook County
- Road Improvement Impact Fee Ordinance and Smart Growth Criteria Kane County
- Smaller Lots and Density Bonuses Plainfield, Will County
Housing commission
- Ad Hoc Housing Committee/Housing Trust Fund Board Lake Forest, Lake County
- Housing Commission Highland Park, Lake County
Inclusionary zoning
- Affordable Requirements Ordinance Chicago, Cook County
- Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Evanston, Cook County
- Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Lake Forest, Lake County
- Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Highland Park, Lake County
Landlord/tenant relations
- Human Rights Code Oak Park, Cook County
- Landlord/Tenant Ordinance Evanston, Cook County
Setting local and regional goals
- Diversity Statement Oak Park, Cook County
- Housing Endorsement Criteria Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Regionwide
Additional case studies
- Abandonment Petition Lansing, Cook County
- Downtown Design Guidelines Mundelein
- Historic Preservation Naperville
- Integrated Marketing Campaign Berwyn, Cook County
- Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance Chicago
- Vacant Building Registration Ordinance Park Forest
- Vacant Structure Registration Ordinance Mount Prospect
- Vacant Property Ordinance South Chicago Heights
- 2611 N. Sawyer Chicago, Cook County
- Block Build Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, Elgin, Kane County
- Donald W. Kent Residence Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Northlake, Cook County
- Emerson Square Evanston
- Georgetown Batavia
- HomeTown Aurora Bigelow Homes, Aurora, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties
- Karcher Artspace Lofts Waukegan, Illinois
- Laurel Court Fulton Developers, L.L.C., Highland Park, Lake County
- Legacy Square Bigelow Homes, Park Forest, Cook County
- Mallinckrodt in the Park The Pickus Companies, Wilmette, Cook County
- Myers Place Mount Prospect
- River Haven Place East Dundee, Illinois
- Sunset Woods Brinshore Development, LLC, and Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, Highland Park, Lake County
- Thomas Place Thomas Place L.L.C., Glenview Elderly Program North, and Turnstone Development, Glenview, Cook County
- Timber Court Tandem Realty, Arlington Heights, Cook County
- Victory Centre North West Housing Partnership and Pathway Senior Living, Bartlett, Cook County
Building inspections and code enforcement
- Inspection Program Mount Prospect, Cook County
Homeowner assistance
- Employer-Assisted Housing Illinois
- University-Assisted Housing Program Loyola University Chicago, City of Chicago, Cook County
Housing preservation and rehabilitation
- Architectural Enhancement Program Tinley Park, Cook and Will counties
- Community First Naperville, DuPage County
- Façade Improvement Program East Dundee, Kane and Cook County
- Historic Chicago Bungalow Association Chicago, Cook County
- Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation Program Round Lake Beach, Lake County
- Renters Organizing Ourselves to Stay (ROOTS) Initiative Chicago, Cook County
- Troubled Buildings Initiative Chicago, Cook County
Property management
- Crime Free Multi-Housing Program Schaumburg, Cook County
Streamlining the development process
- Expedited Permitting Process Elgin, Kane County
Additional case studies
- Condominium Registration and Education Programs Oak Park
- Downtown Development Code Village of Glenview
- Energy Efficiency Programs Oak Park
- Housing Collaboratives South, west, and northwest
- Micro Market Recovery Program Chicago, Cook County
- Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 Evanston, Cook County
- Rental Licensing Program Hanover Park
- Residential Rental License Program Addison
- Senior Handyman Program Northwest suburbs
Community land trust
- Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) Highland Park, Lake Forest, and Evanston
Demolition tax
- Affordable Housing Demolition Tax Evanston, Cook County
- Affordable Housing Demolition Tax Highland Park, Lake County
- Demolition Tax Lake Forest, Lake County
Housing trust fund
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund Highland Park, Lake County
- Low-Income Housing Trust Fund Chicago, Cook County
Rehabilitation finance
- Multifamily Housing Incentives Program Oak Park, Cook County
- Multifamily Rehabilitation Loan Program Evanston, Cook County
- One & Two-Family Rehabilitation Loan Program Evanston, Cook County
- Residential Rehabilitation Grants Elgin, Kane County
- Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Program Oak Park, Cook County
Additional cases
- Chicago Community Land Trust (CCLT) City of Chicago, Cook County
- Cook County Land Bank Authority Cook County
- Payment in Lieu of Required Parking Libertyville
- South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority South Chicago suburbs
About the project
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Metropolitan Planning Council worked together to develop the Homes for a Changing Region Toolkit (Homes), an online guide to help communities plan for their current and future residents by offering resources to complete a comprehensive housing planning process based on public engagement and market analysis. All Homes plans provide policy recommendations, and Home Grown has been updated to serve as the toolkit’s policy resource.
Here you’ll learn how local leaders engaged their constituents in developing a particular housing strategy and what lessons the community learned, including what they would do differently in hindsight. Each document includes contact information for the community we featured, and readers are encouraged to get in touch to learn more.
These resources were made possible by funds awarded by the National Foreclosure Settlement, distributed by the office of the Illinois Attorney General.