Metropolitan Mayors Forum on Housing

With the changing housing market there are quite a few "rules" that are changing as well. Are elderly residents afraid they might not be able to remain in the community once they sell the home they've lived in for years? Are local businesses starting to complain that their employees are having trouble finding homes close to work? I have had these questions directed at me more then once in the last year.

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is sponsoring a December Housing Forum "Supporting Workforce Housing Deals in Our Own Backyard: A Conversation with Mayors and Developers on the Give and Take in a Changing Environment." Co-Chairs of the Caucus' Housing Committee, Mayor Zenovia G. Evans of Riverdale and Mayor Rita L. Mullins of Palatine. I am planning on attending to see if there are answers to the questions!

This forum will be an opportunity for Mayors and Homebuilders to discuss the questions above, focusing on:

• The changing housing market and how it will affect housing production.
• Innovative local and regional housing issues and efforts, including: interjurisdictional initiatives; fee negotiations; community acceptance of housing policies and developments; school funding debates; and housing preservation.

I think this will be a great opportunity to meet some of the homebuilders in the region that are doing workforce housing. The forum will allow attendees to share their ideas regarding what can be done on the local and regional levels to encourage the creation or preservation of workforce housing. Last year I attended and over 100 municipal and development representatives offered their thoughts on how the state could help with this effort; this year, the committee is following up to explore what is being done "on the ground" in the Chicago area, and what else could be done, to create a balance of housing options across the region.

While I think our housing stock is moving in a differnt direction it was fascinating to hear about this issue that affects western Lake County in a big way.