Skip to main content

Housing 1-2-3: A Workbook for Local Officials

Housing 1-2-3 is a step-by-step guidebook designed to make the complex issues of planning, developing, preserving, and managing housing more understandable for municipalities and real estate professionals. The housing market expands and contracts, but the need for a diverse housing stock remains constant. Housing is one of the most basic needs in our society. A balanced housing strategy supports a wide range of quality options for people of every age, household composition, race, or income level. However, all too often, communities lack housing diversity. Beyond the question of equity, a lack of housing options has significant economic impacts – workers cannot live near their jobs, congestion increases, and retail dollars are spent elsewhere. This book will help your community plan for and invest in a diverse housing stock, whatever the market and wherever the community.

About the Authors

This workbook was written by Valerie Sandler Kretchmer, president of Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc. (VSKA) and Deborah L. Brett, president of Deborah L. Brett & Associates. VSKA is a real estate and urban planning consulting firm based in Evanston, Ill., which specializes in real estate market analysis and community development planning. Valerie Kretchmer and Deborah Brett each have more than 30 years of experience working with municipalities, for-profit developers, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, lenders, and real estate investors on a wide range of housing and development issues. Andrew Hasdal, junior planner, provided research assistance for this workbook.

Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc.
2707 Walnut Avenue
Evanston , Illinois 60201
T 847-864-8895

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Plans, Goals, and the Market 
Chapter 2: Cooperation and Partnerships 
Chapter 3: New Construction 
Chapter 4: Preservation of Existing Housing
Chapter 5: Best Practices in Property Management 
Chapter 6: Building Community Acceptance 
Resources and Appendices 
——

The project partners are proud to have the following sponsors for this workbook:

LEAD SPONSOR

Harris

Charles Goetze
Senior Vice President & Regional Community Dev. Manager
111 WestMonroe, 2E
Chicago, IL  60603
Phone: 312.461.3097
Fax: 312.765.8348
E-mail: charles.goetze@harrisbank.com
www.harrisbank.com
With market knowledge, flexible structures, a long-term commitment to the industry and a focus on your business, we at Harris help bring your real estate investments to life.

MAJOR SPONSORS
Applied Real Estate Analysis (AREA), Inc.
Maxine Mitchell, President
Robert Miller, Senior Vice President
914 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: 312.461.9332
Fax: 312.461.0015
E-mail: mainoffice@areainc.net
www.areainc.net
Applied
Real Estate Analysis (AREA), Inc. is a multidisciplinary real estate consulting firm offering a wide range of professional services and expertise to its clients.

Fifth Third Bank
Howard Ackerman
Senior Vice President
222 S. Riverside Plz., 34th Floor
Chicago, IL  60606-5808
Phone: 312.704.4144 
Fax: 312.704.4100 
E-mail: howard.ackerman@53.com
www.53.com
Bank
and savings and loan holding company with subsidiaries which perform commercial banking operations, savings bank operations, mortgage banking, trust services, investment banking services, investment advisory services, leasing, insurance services and other related financial activities.

SPONSOR  

Brinshore Development L.L.C.
Richard Sciortino
President & Principal
666 Dundee Road, Suite 1102
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: 847.562.9400
Fax: 847.562.9401
E-mail:  richs@brinshore.com
www.brinshore.com
Established
in 1994, Brinshore Development, LLC, is an innovative real estate company specializing in the development of residential communities that foster conservation, collaboration and affordability.  With developments ranging from large-scale master planned communities to meticulous historic preservation properties, Brinshore has developed numerous projects with over 5,000 residential units that exceed $1 billion in value.

 
SUPPORTERS

First Midwest Bank
Kirk Homes

——

Housing 1-2-3 is a project of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Illinois Housing Council, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Metropolitan Planning Council.

Housing 1-2-3 Technical Advisory Committee

Ben Applegate
Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, P.C.

Michael Blue
City of Highland Park

Linda Brace
Holsten Development

Beth Demes
Alden Group

Scott Goldstein
Teska Associates, Inc.

Greg Jones
City of Naperville

Tam Kutzmark
DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference

John Labaj
McHenry County

Allison Laff
City of Naperville

Susannah Levine
Business & Professional People for the Public Interest

Joe Martin
Diversity, Inc.

President Marilyn Michelini
Village of Montgomery

Marya Morris
Duncan Associates

Mayor Rita Mullins
Village of Palatine

Clare O’Shea
Village of Mount Prospect

Dudley Onderdonk
City of Countryside

Virginia Pace
Lighten-Gale Group

Phil Page
City of Geneva

Leslie Pollock
Camiros

Steve Porras
Related Midwest

Karen Przypyszny
National Equity Fund

Alan Quick
Illinois Housing Development Authority

Lynn Ross
American Planning Association

Jacques Sandberg
Illinois Facilities Fund

Karen Stonehouse
American Planning Association

Robin Snyderman
Metropolitan Planning Council

Stacie Young
Preservation Compact and DePaul University

Housing 1-2-3 Staff

 

PROJECT LEAD

Josh Ellis
Metropolitan Planning Council

EDITORIAL STAFF

Kim Grimshaw Bolton
Metropolitan Planning Council

Lee Deuben
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Beth Dever
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Joanna Trotter
Metropolitan Planning Council

DESIGN

Katherine Bucar
Metropolitan Planning Council