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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2000u7r2, EVANSTON HOUSING C4hlt1► ISSION THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14. 2000 7:00 P.M MINUTES DRAFT Members Present: R. Brooks, D. Bn7%re. Y. Dickerscn. M Dillon. P. Peterson Members Absent: D. Lach, B. Teeple Staff Present: R. Schur I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM Y. Dickerson called the meeting to order at 7:16 p m. There was no quorum present (quorum achieved at 7:30 p.m.) p. NEW BUSINESS A. Occupancy Regulations in the Zoning & Budding Codes. R. Schur explained that the Housing Commission was being asked to review the occupancy standards as a part of the Consolidated Plan process. One of the requirements is that each jurisdiction must conduct an analysis of impediments (At) to affordable housing. One of the potential barriers identified in the At was the apparent discrepancy in the zoning and property maintenance codes regarding occupancy. This was referred to the Housing Commission for its review. Upon further review, it seems as though the process works as follows: 1. The zoning standard of no more than 3 unrelated persons living together is applied first. 2. If there are a unrelated persons living together, then the property standards code is applied. The property standards code uses a minimum square footage per person. 3. If there are more people !suing in the a-rt than the square footage allows, a violation notice is issued M. Dillon suggested raising the minimum square footage required for occupancy. P. Peterson responded that increasing the limit gces against affordability. By increasing the square footage, less people would be allowed to live in units. Some of these codes are in place to ensure a basic level of health and safety for all residents. By increasing the standard, mare people become at risk. R. Brooks raised an issue regarding rooming houses It was suggested that the limit on three unrelated persons was a way of limiting the number of students that can rent an apartment. M. Dillon asked how the minimum square foot requirements compared to that of Chicago. Although the exact figure was unknown, it was assumed to be fairly similar. It was decided by the Housing Commission that these two occupancy standards were not contradictory nor were they impediments to affordable housing. B. Recommendation to City Council Regarding the Consolidated Plan One -Year Action Plan. The additional pages regarding the HOME and ESG programs were disseminated. R. Schur explained that the One -Year Action plan address how the HUD funds will be used in the upcoming year. P. Peterson noted that he was impressed by the breadth of projects undertaken by the HUD funds for various needy populations;. M. Dillon made a motion to recommend that City Council adopt the Consolidated Pllan One -Year Action Plan. P. Peterson seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. Ill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES R. Brooks made a motion to approve the minutes of September 21, 2000 as written. M. Dillon seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. In the November 16, 2000 minutes, M. Dillon noted that the development costs of the solar home should be $175,000, not S175,00. It was also noted that R. Brooks should be listed as absent from that meeting. M. Dillon made a motion to approve the November 16, 2000 minutes with the corrections. R. Brooks seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. IV. OTHER BUSINESS R. Schur announced that in addition to the Housing & CD Act Committee being invited to the January 18,2001, meeting to listen to the affordable housing audio conference, invitations were sent to the Plan Commission, Mental Health Board, Human Relations Commission and Task Force on Homelessness. In response to a memorandum sent by the Evanston Mental Health Board, the Housing Commission expressed interest in working with the Mental Health Board on its affordable housing process aimed at those with mental health issues. M. Dillon inquired about the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance amendment process. He thought there was an opportunity to create more of a compromise document and to meet with other potential stakeholders. Y. Dickerson expressed her belief that it was best to let the Human Relations Commission remain the lead body on this issue. She explained that the Housing Commission would work with the Human Relations Commission but it was not Housing Commission's place to initiate another process. V. ADJOURNEMENT R. Brooks made a motion to adjourn the meeting. P. Peterson seconded the motion. With no further business before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 8.13 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Roberta Schur Housing Planner k, DRAIN r EVANSTON HOUSING COMMISSION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2000 7:00 P.M. MINUTES Members Present D. Browse, Y- Dickerson, AL Dillon Members Absent: D. r ach, L Nesbitt, P. Peterson, B. Teeple DRAFT` Guests: Nathan Kipais, NK Architects, Inc., Mark,%Mer, hMi ArcZirrcts/ Builders Staff Present. R. Schur I. DECLARATION OF QUORirM Y. Dickerson called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. However, since there was not it quorum present, Y. Dickerson explained that the Commission could not vote no any items unless a quorum was achieved later in the evening. II. APPROVAL OF September 21, 2000 MINUTES Minutes could not be approved due to lack of quorum. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Solar House Proposal. Y. Dickerson introduced Nathan Kipnis, a local Evanston architect, who was present to discuss plans for developing a solar and environmentally friendly house. Nathan Mpnis introduced himself, a local architect with a company in Evanston, and Mark A. Miller, bi.ALM Architects/Builders, an architect located on the north side of Chicago. Both Mr. Kipnis and Mr. Miller were trained as architects in the southwest and have an interest in developing solar and environmentally sound houses. N. Kipnis and M. Miller had the opportunity to work tggethcr.in zdesigucornpeut-n in Chicago. This purpose of the competition was to develop a design for low-income, energy efficient housing. Their design was one of the award uinners. As Evanston residents, ther would Eke to bring this concept to Evanston. N. Kipnis explained that the design the Commission has before them can be built for $175,00 (not including land costs), has low maintenance costs sad takes advantage of the solar house principles adapted from models in the northeast and Canada. It can be built on a 25x125 lot, preferably one that faces south to take the most advantage of the sun's power. The house is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home built on a slab. All of the mechanical equipment is located along the east wall. This design is considered "passive" solar; the house also has a furnace. K bEUx reviewed the materials used on the house. All of the main cvrr4%onrsits use some sort of recycled or renewable resource. For example, the runcretc uses t:r ish uiiich redacts the cost by $5 per yard The interior trim is made of composite lumber, the c--uwll is 100r"e recycled material; the insulation is made of I00° o renewable material; the paint has A high recycled content; the windows arc Ulan in windows integrity line oath a ribcr -t ss frame. The rough carpentry work is made off -site and can be assembled in one day. Y. Dickerson asked if the Chicago house had been built yet and if anyone u-as ]icing there- N. Kiwis responded that the house has not been built, the competition was Lust judged in Septeriber. bf. Dtl3on asked how easy it was for the homeowner to find replacement parts. M. Biller replied that it was the same as a regular house. All of the products they are using may be bought off the shelf; nothing they are using is considered a special order. Y. Dickerson asked about the roofing materials and if the $175,000 was an all-inclusive pricy The roof will be a single ply room membrane. The $175,000 is all inclusive for the development costs. What isn't included is the cost of the land. In Chicago, they have donated the land It is the hope that Evanston can do the same. One other place the city could btlp out is in connected the sewer line between the house and the street. Y. Dickerson thought that based on her experience in the real estate industry, most buyers are going to want an extra ', 2 bath- D. Browne asked what the prospects were for the city providing a lot. & Schur explained that it wu the hope that the lot Habitat for Humanity did not use would be available. However, this is not a south facing lat. The city does not own land so this poses a potential problem. Y. Dickerson said she lilted this concept a lot. She thought it would be logical to ask the ecology- center for input. She also believed the building of this would be a good educational opportunity for the broader community. lwl. Dillon and D. Browne concurred on the concept and the opportunity to use this as an cducatioaal tool. N. Kiprus asked what the next steps should be. R. Schur said that he should plan on meeting with herself and Jim Wolinski to discuss what sites might be available for building this hou3c- The number of lots the city has access to is minimal and she is not sure if any of them face south. There w s Also some cnarersaticm about the styk of the f nv ne xnd how it wM fit in to various neighborhoods. B. Tenant Landlord Ordinance. I- Schur reminded the Commission that there will be a specal Planning & Development meeting on Monday, November 20, to discuss the proposed changes to the tenant landlord ordinance. This is an opportunity for citizens to offer public comment on the proposed changes. Ilfemben were encouraged to attend the meeting to hear the discussion and get a sense of how people feel about the proposals. x Y. Dickerson had questions about the actual process th-st would occur if a complaint was taken up and about the administrative adjudication pro.-res. Y. Dickerson voiced disappointment that the suggestions the Housing Commission provided to the Hunssn Relations Commission about the }proposed changes seemed not to be heeded in the Fcsl deft. One suggestion was that a memo be written to the Human Relations Commission regarding the specific issues. C. Meeting Schedule. It was decided that the Housing Commission w iU continue meeting the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. for the 2001 calendar sear. It was also decided that the December 2000 meeting will be on Dec. 14 instead of Dec 21. At the January 2001 meeting, the Housing Commission a-1 be listening to an audio conference that staff participated in during the month of October. It was decided to invite the CD Committee and other committees that might be interested. IV. ADJOLWiMENT With no further business in front of the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 8.07 P.m. Respectfully submitted, Robetta Schur Housing Planner DRAFT + DRAFT EVANSTON HOUSING CONMUSSION SEPTEMBER 21, 2000 7.00 P.M. Members Present: R. Brooks, D. Browne, D. Lach, Y. Dickerson, J. Lomax Members Absent: L Nesbitt, P. Peterson Staff Present: R. Schur 1. DECLARATION OF QUORUM Y. Dickerson declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF July 20, 2000 and August 17. 2000 R. Brooks made a motion to approve the July 20, 2000 minutes as written. D. Browne seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. D. Uch made a motion to approve the August 17, 2000 minutes as written. J. Lomax seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Letter Regarding 319 Dempster. Y. Dickerson direacd everyone's attention to the letter written to the Housing Commission by George Cyrus, Cyrus Development Group, regarding the Housing Commission's support of Interfaith Housing Development Corporation's request for HOME funds. Much discussion ensued regarding the Conunissioners' reactions to the letter. There was a general feeling that much of the information stated in the letter was true. However, the Commissioners also believed that there was a true lack of understanding of how affordable housing projects are financed. One question that arose was whether or not the Housing Commission was aware of the $4 trillion price tag at the onset of the project. R. Schur rniewed the original application that was submitted and informed the Commission that the total development cost was $4 million in July, when the Commission voted on the application. There was additional discussion over the location of this project and how that night have played into the intent behind the letter. There was also discussion over whether or not this building lent itself to being converted into condominiums. One neighborhood drawback to a conversion at this location would be the lack of parking availability for the buyers. Y. Dickerson pointed out that the Commission only has purview cyrer the HOME dv4am D. Lack pointed out to the Commission that it is titcir responsibilirr to lralsnce the b.,atom line with the services provided, an area, perhaps they could use motr r -M=g M. One of the concerns of the Commission is to address the affordable housi*ig shorrrge. This is particularly acute in this area. Y. Dickerson added that there is a -rut reed for affordable housing and a great need for it to be distributed :.round Evanston. The 319 Dcmpstrr project provides an opportunity to disburse the affordable housing. R, Brooks added that he did not vote on the oagEiW proposal bec=2se of a conflict of interest. However, now that he has Iooked at the proposal more ,ca.-rfullr, he believes that it will pay for itself, however he questions some of the figures in the giro forma including the real estate taxes and long term viability. He also was uncertain as to home of the aspects of the tax credit program. J. Lomax expressed her opinion about how much latitude the Corn .-fission has in regards to how much they can dictate how an applicant uses the HONM funds. However, she smied that Cyrus could submit an application to develop affordable housing just as easily has anybody else. R. Brooks said he thought the article in the Evani-on Rai cw %;w a hrtle misleading. Y. Dickerson stated that as part of the rcv-iew of the application was zhe past performasbce of the developer. Intefaith has delivered in the past and that carries a good deal of weight. In addition, the building has served this particular population in this ne4hborhood for decades, and there is a tremendous need for affordable housing. If anyone feels that there is a better way to get this done, the Commission encourages them to submit a proposal. D. Browne asked some questions about the relocation of the tenants - In response to how the Commission should respond to the letter, D. Lach stated that she was uncomfortable with the Commission responding point by point, -in ,%Tidng, to the Ietter. She reminded everyone that the Commission is an adrisory body to Cite Council. She added that there were many opportunities for people to comment on this before City Council voted to approve this request. D. Lach also voiced her surprise over .'air. Cyrus not be' g present at the Commission meeting. R. Brooks made a motion to acknowledge Mr. Cyrus' letter and note twat the issue was discussed at length; that the Council had already approved the request-, and thank hire for his interest. D. Browne seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. B. Housing Inventory Update • R Schur reported that progress was being made on the housing stock inventory. It appears as though there are 239 condorr.Y::um buildings with 4,397 units. IV. OTHER. BUSINESS Y. Dickerson brought up the Public Service Challenge- This is an opportunity for people to learn more about running for and holding public office. On October 21, Y. Dickerson sill be part of a panel. Y. Dickerson thanked]. Lomar for her oa service to the Comn-46 inn as thin rocs her last meeting. In addition, she and the ctt4cr Ccrnmissioncrs rushed her -a,eu. %.% ADJOURN J. Lomax made a motion to adjourn the nwctirg. R. Brooks secMded the motion. \lath= passed 5-0. %:1ith no further business before rizc Commission, the meeting adjourac%i at p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lz-t"� Roberta Schur DRAFT E\ ANI —STON HOUSING COMMISSION ,AUGUST 17, 2000 7:00 P \i. Afembers Present: B. Brooks, Y. Dickerson, D. Lach. J. Lomax, Members Absent: D. Btowzte: L Nesbitt, P. Petmon DRAFT Guests: David Bri ord , Paula Haines, Hollis Settles, Human Relations Commission Staff Present: R. Schur, J_ Wb inski I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM Y. Dickerson called the meetnng to order at 7:04 p.m. Y. Dickerson explained that since there was not a quorum present, the Commission would not be able to vote on any matters. II. APPROVE AIINLi=- OF July 20, 2000 HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING The Commission was not able to approve the minutes without a quorum being present. III. NEW BUSINESS Y. Dickerson introduced ixula Haynes, executive director of the Human Relations Commission to explain the process the Human Relations Commission has been through to make the recommended changes to the Landlord Tenant Ordinance which is currently before the Housing Commission.. P. Haynes introduced D. Bea.dford, past chair of the Human Relations Commission (HRC). She explained that the Residential Landlord -Tenant Ordinance set rules and rights but that enforcement mechanisms %-ere not included in the original draft of the Ordinance. Over the years, the HRC has encountered problems regarding the Ordinance since they are no enforcement provisions. The only way to enforce the ordinance currently is through independent civil action. In many cases it costs more to File the case than any compensation that may result. D. Bradford added that mule the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance was a good beginning, the major deficit of the Ordinance is that there aren't any enforcement provisions. The HRC believes that the recommended changes are neutral, there is no bias toward either tenants or landords. At each HRC meeting, they receive a list of complaints handled by the Human Relseom staff. In trying to resolve an issue, if one of the parties does not comply, there is no "stick" that may be employed to gain compliance. One issue that comes up repeatedly is returning of security deposits. R. Brooks asked if From now on will all leases need to be in writing. The response was yes. R. Brooks commented on the requirement that units be inspected before the tenant moves out. Based on his experiences he has noticed that units get damaged more during the course of a move out and that perb:aps the inspection should occur afar the units has been vacated P. Haynes noted that the landlord does have 21-days to return the security deposit after the unit has been vacated. Peps the ordinance can be amended to say that the inspection must occur within 48-hours of a move out. I— Brooks asked if the cu===t ordinance provided for a 2-day w:itten notice prior to landlord access to the unit- P. Haynes replied that it is a 2-day notice however it does not need to be in writing. R. Brooks asked if in the e4eat of a sublease ,mU the landlord nerd to incur the costs of trying to re -lease the unit: P. Hirnes said that he does not have to. Obviously, if the unit is abandoned it is in his interest to do so. Y. Dickerson added th.it she also had problems with the wording of this section_ P. Haynes directed them to the new definitions of fair market value and fair rent. D. Lach asked about the process. She is not troubled by any of the substance however she is troubled by the form. She mores suggestions for Iegal form that she does not understand. She underscored the import=cc of the proposed changes being mir-wed by corporation counsel to make sure the ordinance does not open up the door for any lawsuits. In her opinion, the provisions are very vvinerable. The spirit is right but the format is troublesome. Both civil and criminal iattg-mge is being used D. Lach asked when a Commission wanu to suggest Ordinance changes. what is the process for doing so? P. Haynes responded that the Corporation Counsel has ch.-Is currently and it is being put in the proper format. P. Haynes did note that this was wrztren by an attorney. The Ordinance u-M be administered the HRC staff and heard by the adnninistrative adjudicators if necessary. D. Inch underscored the importance of the ordinance being reviewed carefully by the Cit:'s corporation counsel before carrying it forward. D. Inch asked about the dedttition of "sleeping unit". In her opinion it was vague. P. Haynes responded that the? are talking about single room occupancy buildings. D. Lach suggested that a duration be included in the definition. R. Brooks recommended that the word "leased" be used in the definition. Y. Dickerson asked if the provisions of the new law addressing the termination of a lease if illegal activity is taking place are included in the Ordinance. P. Haynes pointed out where it was incorporated and how—;- -works. J. Lomax asked a question regarding the use of one of the forms_ P. Haynes explained that it will become part of the lease- Prior to taking possession of the apartment, the tenant and landlord will walk through the unit together documenting the condition of the rooms. The HRC developed this form ice most of the concerns they hear have to deal with security deposits. This foram becom--s a part of the Iease. After a tenants moves out, the landlord and tenant will walk tluoug the unit. Based on the conditions of the apartment as noted on the form, the amount of the security deposit to be returned wiU be determined. Y. Dickerson asked they had: experimented with the form to see how and if it works. P. Haynes replied that they have not. J. Lomax asked if the form should be used each year a lease was renewed. P. Haynes said that it would only be Filled oast at initial tenancy and final move out. J. Lomax what happens if there are things that need to be fixed noted on the form. P. Haynes said it depends a lot on the type and degree of the problem. 2 R.Brooks noted that he envisions some resistance on the part of managers and owners. Y. Dickerson asked about the full disclosure requirements. P. Haynes directed her to the page of disclosure requirements as outlined by the ordinance. No additional disdosures have been added This was meant to make the process easic. J. Wolinski spoke in support of the Ordinance. It is his hope that by adding an enforcement mechanism to the ordinance, the need to go in the direction of apartment licensing and registering will diminish.. Currently, there is not enough Cot.munity Development staff do apartment licensing. Y. Dickerson asked evexyone to summarize their feelings regarding the changes. D. Lach said that she is in support but that the form needs work. She would like to see it again before it goes to Council. J. Lomax also voiced her support and commended the work of the Human Relations Commission. Y. Dickerson said she is in support of the direction the HRC is going with these changes. She thinks that a priority is keeping the equity between the landlords and the tenants. She thought the form should be tried before putting it into law. W. OTHER BUSINESS R. Schur pointed out the letter that was sent to United Block Clubs of Evanston in response to the Families in Transition application that was submitted D. Lach asked what was being done to increase the membership of the Commission. R Schur mentioned that there have been announcements in the local press. In addition, she encourage the Commissioners to refer people they know who may be interested in being on the Commission to contact the mayor's office for an application. Y. Dickerson suggested adding an application to the Highlights that is sent to every household. V. ADJOURNNMNT With no further business before the Commission, the meeting ,%w adjourned at S.-05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Roberta Schur Housing Planner X1 DRAFT DRAFT EVANSTON HOUSING COI CS(ISSION NCD4 TIES JULY 20, 2000 7.00 P.M. Members Present: D. Browne, Y. Dickemon, J. Lotttax, L Nesbitt, P. Peterson Members Absent R. Brooks, D. Lach Presiding Official- Y. Dickerson, Chair Guests: Richard Koenig, Interfaith Housing Devdopment Corporation Staff Present: R. Schur I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM Y. Dickerson declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 7M pin. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES P. Peterson made a motion to approve the minutes from the]une 22, 2000 meeting. D. Browne seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Interfaith Housing Development Corporation Request for $150,000 in HOME funds for 319 Dempster. Y. Dickerson introduced R Koenig, executive director of Interfaith Housing Devkopment Corporation (IHDC), and asked him to explain his proposal. R. Koenig informed the Commission that 319 Dempster is a 46runit single room occupancy (SRO) building. It is currently fully occupied IHDC intends to do a complete rehabilitation of the property -new systems (plumbing, electrical), add bath and kitchen faciirics to the units and add an elevator to snake it ADA compliant. R Koenig explained that this building is in a historic district; as such, IHDC will do the exterior modifications in keeping %ith the cha to of the district. Total development costs are approximately$4.I million. Fuuaricing is coming from a variety of sources including a private first mortgage, the Affordab]e Housing Trust Fund and Low Income Housing Tax Credits. R. Koenig explained that the tax credits are a way to get equity into the project. The rent structure will remain the same Y. Dickerson asked how the logistics of the rehabilitation would uumrk F- Koenig said that the tenants would need to be temporarily relocated during constsuctiom IHDC will pay for any rent differential between the current recut and the rent in the temporary location. IHDC has budgeted $50,000 for relocation. Y. Didrrrson asked where the $5,000 additional income %-As coming from. IL Koenig explained that IHDC will be getting laundry income from the machines they will instz1L Y. Dickerson asked where IHDC will be adding the [our additional units. R. Koenig explained that they will be taking the space of the cvrsrnt common kitchens and baths and using those to add the additional units. J. Lomas asked a question regarding the rent limits. She inquired as to how the currear rents compare to the rent limits. R. Koenig said he would not know that until he had interviewed the current tenants. P. Peterson asked how IHDC came to the 7° ., vacancy rate. R. Koenig responded that it was a requirement set by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. P. Peterson asked if R. Koenig felt comfortable with a debt coverage of 1.13 to which he replied ges. This was similar to the other projects Interfaith has done. P. Peterson asked who vill receive the developer's fee and when it will be received. R. Koenig explained that Interfaith ,xill eventually get the developer's fee. It will be distributed over time from the cash flow. A current tenant spoke to the present conditions of the building. She said that she and the other tenants were very excited about the possibility of new ownership. R. Koenig announced Interfaith's commitment to hold a community meeting to discuss IHDC's plans for the building. R. Koenig believed the meeting would be in 15-45 days. D. Brow.-ne made a motion to recommend approval of Interfaith's request of $150,000 in HONM funds for the acquisition and rehabilitation of 319 Dempster. L Nesbitt seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. B. Families in Transition (FIT) Application Even though the Sponsor was not at the meeting, the Commission decided to discuss the appiicatioa. R. Schur provided a brief summary of the program for the benefit of the newer members. The Commission identified three things that smut be done before they will make a decision regarding this application: 1. A unit must be identified; Z 'Mere needs to be additional information provided on the Sponsor, 3. The self-sufficiency plan must be more fully developed, including year 2. The Commission members wanted it on the record that they are in support of the FIT program and would encourage the application, provided the appropriate materials were submitted. The Commission regretted that the Sponsor did not attend the Housing Commission meeting. IV. OLD BUSINESS R. Schur provided an updated land -use map to the Commission. The trap highlighted how much land was dedicated to various types of uses. The Commission was most interested in the residential uses. IL Schur informed the Commission that work was being done on gathering date on the number of units in each residential category. 2 ix . 4 1 V. ADJOURNMENT With no further business before the Commission, the meeting adjo=ed at 8:05 p.m. Respectf* submitted, Robert: Schur Housing Planner DRAFT EVANSTON I OVSING COMMISSION , NTL'IFS JUNE _W &-00 P..\i. r Members Prescnr B. Brooks, D. Brame, Y. Dickerso®, J. Lomax, L Nesbitt, P. Peterson Members Absent, D. Lach Presiding Official: Y. Dickerson, Ch=ir Guests: David Janzen & Edmund Steele, Reba Place Development Corporation Staff R. Schur I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM Y. Dickerson declared a quorum and caUcd the meeting to order at 6:12 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES D. Browne made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 4, 2000 meeting. L Nesbitt seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Reba Place Development Corporation Request for $22,500 in HOME Funds. Y. Dickerson introduced David Janzen & Edmund Stele from Reba Place Development Corporation (RPDC) and indicated to the Commissioners that RPDC submitted a request for capacity building funds. 1'. Dickerson asked D. Janzen & E. Steele to explain their proposal to the Commission. D. Janzen explained that until R62 Place purchased the Seward building, they had enough staff to handle the necessary work. I lowcver, since purchasing this property, they have discovered that there is more work and experience needed than they have in-house. As a result, they hired Edmund Steele in April to be a project manager. RPDC recognizes that in order to be most efficient and effective, then need to be better trained and better organized. This led them to apply for a HOME Capaciry BuLding grant. This grant wilE help pay for the director's and project manager's salaries. In addition, the grant will help pay For an office build -out and property management training of the staff_ Training resources inrlude the Community Investment Corporation, the Institute for Real Estate Management, HUD and Holsten & Associates. P. Peterson asked what their justification was for the salan supplements. D. Janzen responded that it was important to get E. Steele properly trained and &c him the experience he nerds to be an effective project manager. P. Peterson asked why there is a partial payment for the director's salary. D. Jarren said chit this includes his own staff titue than it will take to train E. Steele. P. Peterson caked if this was a one-time orth• expense to whiclh D. janzen replied in the affirmative. In :he future, sjUries will be funded through the project budget of the Sm-ard building. P. Peterson asked if RPDC was looking it future projects and, if so, h-aw many. ll.,janz^^ replied that the Seward project would kerp them fairly busy for the nest 12-18 months. However, he anticipates starting to look. for a new project soon. P. Peterson asked how they arrived at a 5° o vacancy factor in their budget. D. Janzen saii3 pit came from their experience at other buildings. Y. Dickerson verified that this grant request was in keeping with the requirements of the HOME program. R. Schur indicated thst they were. J. Lomax made a motion to accept RPDC's request for S." 500 in HOME capacity buildiing funds and recommend to City Council that it be approved. D. Brcmme seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-0. B. Status Report on Housing Stock Inventory R. Schur gave an update on the status of the housing stock inventory. She informed the Commission that the land use map has been completed. It will now be possible to generate the number of each housing type (i e. single family, multi -family, condo, etc.). It is her hrape to have this information at the next housing commission meeting. Y. Dickerson stressed the importance of the Commission to represent the interests of homebuyers, renters and investors at all income levels. This is something the Commission needs to remember as they go forward in this discussion. P. Peterson added that the Commission must also look broader, they must consider current Evanston residents' ability to buy -up or bur their rental unit when it converts to a condominium as well. C. Update on IHDA First Time Homebuyer Program. 13. Brooks reported on the seminar that was held for the new fast time homebuser program that the City is participating in with the Illinois !-lousing Development :Authority OHM) - Eleven people attended the meeting. Two banks were represented and six realtors attended. Both of the lenders had participated in the program in the past. B. Brooks reminded everyone that this is a 5116 interest, 5' o drrxn payment, 30-year fixed rate loan product. T"c e target market is moderate -income buyers. Evanston has just Iess than $1.6 million to lend out. IL Schur reported that the lenders at this meeting were interested in working with the city on the issues of predatory lending and credit counseling. B. Brooks reported that a new problem is predator~• assistance. J. Lomax inquired as to the status of the condominium conversion ordinance revisions. R. Schur responded that until the housing inventory is completed and the housing eommissii= makes its recommendation(s), the revisions are on hold. However, some of the policy changes have already been implemented IV. ADJOURNMENT With no further business before the Contt"ission, the meeting uas s&Auvx cd at 6-51,: p-= Respectfully Submitted Roberta Schur Housing Planner FIA DRAFT EVANSTON HOUSING COMMISSION MAY 4, 2000 MINUTES 7:00 P.M. DRAFT Members Present: Y. Dickerson, A. Gitelson, D. Lach, L Nesbitt. P. Peterson Members Absent: B. Brooks, D. Broum, J. Lon= Guests: Richard Koenig, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation Presiding Official: Alan Gitelson, Chair I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM A. Gitelson declared a quorum and called the melting to order at 7-04 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES L Nesbitt nude a motion to approve the March lb, 2000 minutes as written. D. Lach seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. Y. Dickerson made a motion to approve the April I2, 2000 minutes. P. Peterson seconded the motion. A. Gitelson made the following changes: The second paragraph under New Business, "capital' should read "capita", the first paragraph on page 2, the third sentence should read "R. Schur responded that most single family programs include homes up to four units". Motion passed 5-0 with the corrections made. M. NEW BUSINESS A. Compliance vd h the Consolidated Plan: Interfaith Housing Development Corporation (IHD) Request for Funds tinder HUD SuperNOFA. Richard i oc* executive director of IHDC, informed the Commission that IHDC was interested in purchasing 319 Dempster, a 46-unit rooming house. IHDC plans to gut the inteaor of the building in order to add kitchens and bathrooms in each unit, provide handicapped accessibility, upgrade the mechanical systems and put in an elevator. In addition, IHDC will add four additional units, bringing the total number of units to fifty. ?1s a parr of the Supportive Housing Program requirements, IHDC will set aside five units for the homeless disabled. The building is fully occupied and R. Koenig anticipates the tenants will be able to stay. D. Lach asked if the $340,000 that IHDC ass requesting a as for one year or three yeam R. Koenig responded that the $340,00 is covering development costs. Since IHDCs application is not a service based proposal the one and three-year terms do not really apply. D. Lach asked how long it would take to do the rehab work R. Koenig said the rehab would take approximately twelve months. D. Lach asked where the tenants ,%xwld live during the renovations. R. Koenig said that the tenants would need to be temporarily relocated. )51 P. Peterson noted that the Erse units need to be set -aside for fire years. He asked if Interfaith had considered setting the units aide for a longer time period. IL Koenig responded that they had nae However, he did mention that Interfaith has a commitment to own the property for fifteen rears due to some of the other financing. P. Peterson asked who wzs currently living in the building. R. Koenig said that the current building owner describes the building as "IV,16 of ever.—d ing % the working poor. students, people associated with Northwestern. Alan Gitclson asked if there were Section 8 residents in the building. R. Koenig w•as not sure. P. Peterson asked if a public meeting had been held regarding the plans for this building. I— Koenig replied that the. have not held a public meeting yet. The current property owner does not want a lot of rumors circulating about the buiMing nor does hew —Ant the tenants to be unnecessarily aIarmcd. Once the funding has been secured, IHDC M-M hold a meeting. P. Peterson asked if Interfaith had site conuoL R. Koenig explained that they had a purchase option. D. Lach moved to approve Interfaith Housing Development Corporations proposal for funding in accordance urith the Consolidated Plan. Y. Dickerson seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. B. Compliance with the Consolidated Plan: Connections for the Homeless Request for funding under the HUD SuperNOFA. l`fargaret Norton explained that the Entry Point program began operating on January 1, 1999. Entry Point is a street outreach program. Staff routinely checks out the "hot spots" throughout Evanston, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Staff attempts to engage the homeless person in services using different techniques to involve the person in programs and establishing a trusting relationship. For example, staff may offer warm clothes, meals, assistance in obtaining identification, psychological services, assistance in obtaining a birth certificate, provide clean clothes, etc. b.f. Norton reported that they had a very successful fast year. They exceeded goals, learned a lot about Evanston, worked with the police department, churches and merchants. In essence thev served two constituencies, the homeless and the community At large. %L Norton exphined that the funds under this grant proposal were to continue the Entry Point program by providing staff costs for the next three years. D. Lach asked if the Entry Point program worked with families. M. Norton replied that they work with families depending on the situation. D. Lach wanted to know hour many of the homeless people they come in contact with are from Evanston. In Entry Point's experience, 15%-20° o of their clients are from the community. As a follow-up, D. Lath inquired as to how long people have been homeless when Entry Point becomes involved with them. ist Norton explained that it really depends on the situations. Some people have been homeless for as little as three weeks, others as long as five years. The ages of the homeless also range across the board. \f. Norton informed the Commission that young runaways were referred to agencies that deal specifically with youth. Donna Lach asked how nuny people were on staff and where they conducted the intake. \L Norton said that there were four full time equivalent positions. Staff 2 conducted the intake wherever they could. If they could get a client back to the shelter. that would be the ideal. However, if that were not possible, stiff would conduct the intake at the beach, in Entry Poines; van, wherever the client would allow. D. Loch inquired about the hours of operation. �L Norton explained that they started off w•orldttg 24 hours a day. They found that there was not much happening between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. so they scaled back. P. Peterson asked about the success rate. \L Norton explained that it really depends They see the chronically mental ill a lot. They see approximately fifteen new people 7 month. Alan Gitelson explained that he would not vote due to potential conflict of interest Yvonne Dickerson made a motion to approve Connections for the Homeless' proposal for continuation funding in the amount of $629,937 in compliance with the Consolidated PIan. L Nesbitt seconded the motion. Mod n passed 4-0-1. C. Compliance with the Consolidated Plan: Connections for the Homeless Request for Funding under the HUD SuperNOFA. M. Norton explained that this proposal was to expand the Entry Point program in order to add an additional outreach specialist position. This would allow Entry Point to have a consistent presence at the soup kitchens and warming centers. Currently there are only four people on staff; this often causes logistical problems. A. Gitelson asked if they used volunteers in this program. W. Sunblad replied that they did not because it would raise liability problems for them. D. Lach asked what type of qualifications they were looking for in their outreach workers. M. Norton said that the ideal candidate would have a bachelors degree in social work or psychology, a drivers license and experience in working with the homeless. Y. Dickerson asked if Entry Point received support form EvMark and the Chamber. M. Norton said that they are very supportive of Connections and the work Entry Point does but they do not provide financial support. D. Lach made a motion to approve this proposal in compliance with the Consolidated Plan. P. Peterson seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0-I. D. Election of New Officers. D. Lach nominated Y. Dickerson as the Chairperson of the Housing Commission. L. Nesbitt seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0-I. D. Lach nominated L. Nesbitt Vice -Chair of the Commission. P. Peterson seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. IV. OTHER BUSINESS Donna Lach asked staff to compile a "cheat sheet" of acronyms. A. Gitelson suggested that the Housing Commission continue working on two issues: 1. Predatory Lending and foreclosures; and, 2. Condominium Conversions (e.g., where they are and how many condominium units are there). Y. Dickerson presented A. Gitelson with a certificate thanking him for his six years of service on the Housing Commission. A. Gitelson thanked the Commission for all of their hard work and wished them luck. V. ADJOURNMENT Alan Gitelson. made a motion to adjourn the mgvrdng. P. Pet,ersm sraonclat the motiom Nto6on passed 5-0. The Housing Commission meeting wn adjourned at 7-.'CO pm, Respectfully submitted: r Roberta Schur Housing Planner 4 DRAFT Members Present: Members Absent: Presiding Official: DRAFT EVANSTON HOUSING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING APRIL 12, 2000 MINUTES 6:00 P.M. Y. Dickerson, A. Gitelson, J. Lomax, L. Nesbitt, P. Peterson R. Brooks, D. Browne, D. Lath Alan Gitelson, Chair Staff Present: R. Schur L DECLARATION OF QUORUM Alan Gitelson declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m... IL NEW BUSINESS Allocation of Year 2000 Bond Volume Cap. A. Gitelson explained that the purpose of the special meeting of the Housing Commission is to make a decision regarding the dispensation of the $3.6 million of bond volume cap for the year 2000 for the City of Evanston. A. Gitclson referred the Commission members to the memo that was in their packets. He reminded the Commission that of the $3.6 million, they needed to make a recommendation regarding only $1.6 million of the total. Two million dollars would be used for an Industrial Revenue Bond to benefit Riley & Geehr, Inc., a local manufacturer of food storage pouches. Staff is recommending that Sl.G million of the total bond volume cap be ceded to the Illinois Housing Development Authority to be used for a first time homebufer program. A. Gitelson asked R. Schur to add information regarding the background of the bond volume cap. R. Schur informed the Commission that the bond volume cap is a per capit II Rocation by the state. Each year the tiny receives $50 per person. With those funds, amounting to approximately $3.6 million, the City can issuc industrial revenue bonds, mortgage revenue bonds or mortgage credit certificates. In the past few years, the City has used the bond volume cap to fund the Assist first time homcbuyer program, using mortgage revenue bonds, and the mortgage credit certificate program. This year, there has been a request fiarrt a manufacturer for assistance in an expansion and purchase of new equipment. The city will be prodding that assistance in the form of an industrial revenue bond to help with the purchase of new equipment. This expansion will help to add more jobs. This year, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has asked the City to participate in its fist time homebuyer program- It offers a 5% interest rate and closing cost assistance if needed. There are purchase price and income limits depending on the household size, location of structure and whether or not it is new construction. The target population for this program is moderate -income buyers. k P. Peterson asked why thus program included l uilciings with up to ftntr units. He voiced eoncem that this would attract a different salt of purchaser. tuie who w-as tntur interested is investment than a home. R.. Schur responded that most sing,tt 6mily pn ;rxm4ttcluclryr.'�s � up to four units. This wxKdd allow extended fsntifies to purchase a btulthug. Y. Dickerson voiced concern regarding the marketing of the ptaFram As the pre ions programs have not always been very well atd%-ertisrcl. R. Schur rrsptinded thst either the participating banks or the tits would do the advertising, in thus case. it would most likely be the banks. Y. Dickerson stressed the imporrince of the marketing of this program, particularly in the target area. L. Nesbitt asked how long the funds were restricted to Evanston. R. Schur responded that the funds would be used exclusively in Evanston for a period of 12 months. After one year, if there were still funds available, they could be used across the state in any municipality that participated in the bond issue. IHDA provides quarterly reports to the City to show the amount of funds expended. P. Peterson made a motion to recomtnend approval of ceding $1.6 million to IHDA for the purpose of a first time homebuyer program with the caveat that there'be aggressive marketing of the program by the participating lenders, particularly in the target area. J. Lomax seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. III. ADJOURNMENT Y. Dickerson made a motion to adjourn the meeting. I.. Nesbitt seconded the motion. With no further business before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.ra. c' Respectfully submitted, Roberta Schur Housing Planner DRAFT EVANSTON HOUSING COMMISSION MARCH 16, 2000 MINUTES 7:00 P.M. Members Present: R. Brool;-s, A. Gitelson, D. Lach, J. Lomax, L Nesbitt Members Absent: D. Broa-ne, Y. Dickerson. P. Peterson DRAFT Guests: Sharon Feigon, Center for `neighborhood Technobgy Samantha deKoven & Rohm Snyderman, Nfetropolitan PIanning Council BennettJohnson, United Block Clubs of Evanston Megan, Condon, Lucy Knit, Bonnie Lindstrom, Saul Kfibanow Presiding Official: Alan Gitelson, Chair Staff Present: IL Schur, S. Lufkin I. DECLALATION OF QUORUM A. Gitelson declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES IL Brooks made a motion to approve the January 20, 2000 minutes as written. J. Lomas seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Location Efficient Mortgages. Sharon Feigon from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT}, also a member of the Evanston Plan Commission, made a presentation regarding Location Efficicnr'4iortgagcs (LEINO. According to S. Feigon, the LEAF is a product is a product that taco advantage of saving; for people who lice near amenities and public transportation_ according to CNT research, transportation is the second highest expense after housing housing takes out 30' o and transportation 21% of household income. The location efficiency is deternuned by four factors: 1. Neighborhood residential density; 2. Nea.: public transportation. 3. Access to shopping, services, cultural amenities and schools; s--d. 4. Pedestrian friendly. Based on these factors, Evanston is a yen• location efficient community. S. Feigon reported that Fannie t%fac has cn-nmitted $100 million for a multi -city test of the LEINI. Chicago is expected to come on line in February. Seattle, San Francisco, Lei County and Chicago all offer the product_ Portland, Oregon has voiced interest and will soon have LEtify. In Chicago, Countnuide Bank is the only financial institution participating. In Seattle, Continental Banks backing the producr- The LENT is a fully insured, 15-30 year loan The loan to value ration can be 97%. Single family detached and attached housing (condominiums & townhouses) may be financed. L. Nesbitt asked -wh.2t the response had been from ocher lending institutions. S. Feigon responded that First Chicago had voiced interested but after the Bank One merger, they were not interested Mid -Towne Bank had also expcessed interest. In California, Freddie Mac responded favorably. S, Feigon explained that there were maximum home value limits per the F -Lk limits. In order to detenstine what the savings would be, a loca-jon efficient value is placed upon the location of the home. The values are based upon a model which includes residential density, pedestrian friendliness, transit access, income., vehicle ownership and use per household, and household sire. In order to use the I_EM in Evanston, a local bank needs to get involved D. L ach asked how the LEE pn gmrn was marketed and made accessible to potential borrowers. S. Feigon responded that in Seattle the participating bark and the City took on the responsibility for the advertising. In Chicago, there wis., been very little advertising. CNT, County%-%Idc and Fannin Nfac will do the marke:ing when the first loan closes. S. Feigon added that CNT w•asued to offer long term CT.A passes (I year) for IMM borrowers however it proved difficult to get passed &.-c bureaucracy of the CTA. The City of Chicagc and the Department of Environment -a-ill give the fast 100 people a voucher for an energy efficient refrigerator or stove. Bennett Johnson asked how different the models were for each tiny. S. Feigon stated that they could vary significantly dependent on the valTues plugged into the formula. For example, Chicago has the best public transit infrastrucnire which works to our favor when plugging that value into the formula. S. Klibanow asked what the advantages are to Evanston. S. Feigon listed a number of advantages including increasing the number of areas that are affordable and allouing some people to buy homes that might not others be aV.e to do so. B. Regional Rental Market Analysis. Robin Syndertnaa and Samantha dcKoven from the Metropolitan Planning Council (.\fPC) explained that MPC released the executive summary of the rental housing market srudy in November IM which details the supply and demand for rental housing in the six county region "Cool;, %X'd , DuPage, Lake, Mcl leery and Kane. Some of the research participants and funders include '% pC, University• of Illinois -Chicago, Great Cities Institute, Applied Real Estate .Analysis, City of Chicago Department of Housing, Chicago I lousing _Authority, IHDA, HUD, area banks and foundations. The four key topics of the presentation were a) the current supply of rental housing the six county Chicago region; b) the current demand for apzrunents in the area; c) the reconciliation of supply and demand now and in the funze; 4,' factors shaping the regional rental market. PIease see attached for highlight` of the presentation. B. UNITED BLACK CLUBS OF EVANSTON. Bennett Johnson of the United Block Clubs of Evanston came to the Commission to introduce the organization to the Commission and inform them of the United Block CIubs' plans. United Block Clubs three to four years ago to address the issues of the west side. Thus far they have undertaken a number of initiatives including FEAST, the jobs Fair Program and .Afric= American Youth programming. The next item the organization would like to address is 2 the boarded up and substandard housing in Evanston with the gcW of Mwiding stable, quality housing for the residents. M OTHER BUSINESSES R. Schur mcndoned that a special meeting of the PIanning & Development G,%nututm %%w held to investigate the possibility of implementing licensing of multi -family b+uii6tgs. There was a standing room only crowd. Many different points of view- were shared regWing this issue- More meetings mill need to be had before any decision is made trgarthnti this issue. Alan Gitelson announced that the next meeting of the Housing Commission would be on Tbursday, May 4, at 7.00 p.m. V. ADJOURN Donna Lach moved to adjourn the meeting. L Nesbitt seconded the motion. With no further business in front of the Commission, the meeting WU adjourned at 835 p=L Respectfully submitted, Roberta Schur Housing Planner k EVANSTON HOUSING CONINUSSION MINUTES Thursday, January 20, 2000 Room 2402 7:00 P.M. Members Present: R. Brooks, Y. Dickerson, A. Gitelson, L Nesbitt. P. Peterson Members Absent: D. Browne, D. Lach j. Lomax Guests: Kathy McDonough, Cook County Housing Development Corporation Luce Knight, League of Women Voters Presiding Official: A. Gitclson, Chair Staff Present: R.. Schur I. DECLARATION OF QUORUM A. Gitelson declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. if. APPROVAL OF December 16,1999 MINUTES L Nesbitt made a motion to approve the minutes as written. R. Brooks seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. ELECTION OF 2000 OFFICERS. R. Schur explained that pursuant to the Evanston Housing Commission ordinance, the Commission needs to elect new oft�eers the rust meeting of every calendar year. R. Brooks made a motion to nominate Alan Gitelson as chair of the Commission. L. Nesbitt seconded the motion. Motion pissed unanimously. L Nesbitt made a motion to nominate Y. Dickerson as vice -chair of the Commission. P. Peterson seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. B. CITY PARTICIPATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND PROGRAM`[. A. Gitelson referred Commission members to the staff memo that was contained in their packets and asked R. Schur to give a summary of the progr=L R. Schur explained that Kathy N[cDonough, executive director of the Cook County Housing Development Corporation (CCHDC), came to the City to inform them about this program. This is a $100 million bond issue for the purpose of providing moderate income owner -occupied housing. The funds are made available for rehabilitation. The City is proposing to work with the Evanston Housing Coalition and Interfaith Housing Development Corporation. The goal of Evanston's proposal is to reduce the number of vacant and boarded properties, increase the home buying oppquttu»tics (,r rmculcratc•income families and stabilize the cornmunttr. R. Schur im odueed lathy Mcl7.)nough and asked he. to ftmhcr explain the progra= Ms. McDonough explained that the prc+gmm is using :ax csemp, revenue bond'.to:z=l a home ownership program in subu.-?san Cook Countr- 1-he Lxmd issue will be for $100 million. Hz..ris Bank is the issuer. This money is bezri lent for "instruction tinanti:�g. Developers %ill be working for a Exed fee that uill be paid out when they deliver the finished product. There is no recor ne to the developer. Ms. McDonough explained that this is very similar to a program being done in Chucago. Ms_ \icDonough opened up the discussion at this paint to sec if there were any questions - IL Brooks asked where the money was to come from for the acquisidon of the houses. Nis. McDonough explained that the money needs to come from an outside source. In some cases the City owns land which it is donating to the project or a developer oaM.s Iand that s/he is bringing to the table_ The Bank wants to see some "equity" put into the deal. Alan Gitelson asked if HOME dollars of the Mayor's Special Housing Fund could be used in this program. Ms. McDonough replied that it could be wcd if Evanston wanrcd to put that resource into the program. 'Ihc other source of equity could be the post - rehab value of the property. However. this can not be the only Ming the City contributes. Alan Gitelson inquired as to whether or not there was a model of this program elsewhere that they were trying to emulate. Nis. McDonough said that CCHDC aw the model. The person who came up with this program spent seven years developing the program in order to ensure no legal problems. Now outer cities are trying to put similar programs into practice. A. Gitclson asked if CCHDC was sure that the program would work. Nis. McDonough responded that she felt confident that it was a good program that would be well used. 'Iine one hurdle is finding someone to fund the acquisition costs and subordinate to the rehab loan. She mentioned that Chicago Equity Fund is thinking about starting a Community Reinvestment Fund that would provide monies for acquisition subordinate to rehab loans. Y. Dickerson asked why the City felt the need to be the applicant for this program. R. Schur responded that when staff heard about the program, it fit vm nicely into the portfolio of housing programs that the City administered and an effective way to dispose Of the abandoned and boarded property. Staff had discussed ways of dealing with this problem and this program was one way to fund it. In addition, by the City being the applicant, it was able to chose its development partners and spread the ownership around rather than putting all of their eggs in one basket Alan Gitelson asked how long the money would be available. Ms. McDonough replied that they had three years to obligate the money and five years to realize the product Nis. McDonough informed the Commission that she would be meeting with representatives from HUD to discuss the possibility of them putting their inventory into the program. This would be one way to get around the problem of funding acquisition funding. 2 P. Peterson asked if there veal a--z expiration date for the City to be a part of the program, his. 11fcDonoLmb ex' Akined that it was a rolling application process. She was working with applicants to urpr're applications as needed P.L. Schur mentioned that she had met with representatives from Evanston Housing Coalition and Interfaith Housinz Development Corporation that afternoon and they had a few questions: When does the acquisition financier get paid bacI0 At the sale of the property. How and when will rehab funds get disbursed? A construction drawdou-n will be set-up. What happens if the house sells for less than forecasts If there is a loss, the bank absorbs it. Why does the bond funds need to be used for rehab and not acquisition.? That was the way the program =-as set up by bond counsel. Who is responsible for the funds during rehab? The banL Is there predevelopment money available? It might be possible. A. Gitelson asked when staff was planning on bringing this proposal to City Councr7. R. Schur responded that the proposal would be presented to the Planning & Development Committee sametane in late February or early March depending on the feedback from the Housing Commission. Y. Dickerson said she thought this was a good and appropriate program for this need in Evanston. One issue to be resolved is acquiring the property without raising, the suspicion of people in the neighborhood. L Nesbitt thinks that the prozm aiH work as long as it is one tool to be used and as long as the program is applied fairly. R. Schur explained that the City would not have any role in the acquisition. The acquisition process will be a private matter between the not for profit and the seller. Alan Gitelson thinks that the County program is a good one. However, he expressed concern over taxing the Cit•,.'s financial resources to assist in the program. R. Schur responded that the staff has considered developing a type of revolving Ioan fund for this program in order to assist •s-ith the acquisition. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Results of HUD Homelessness SuperNOFA. A. Gitelson referred people to the letter in their packets from Housing Options regarding the results of their application to HUD for funding. Housing Options has received the funding they had requested from HL-D. A.. Gitelson thanked Housing Options for the update IL Schur informed the Commission that Connections for the Homeless also received the requested funding. B. 319 Custer. R. Schur updated the Commission on the status of this building. Two months ago, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation requested $130,000 in HOME funds for the purchase of this property. The Housing Commission and City Council granted this request. However, during Interfaith's due diligence period, they discovered that there was a great deal more work need on the roof and parapet wall than orighay disclosed by the owner. This increased their costs to rehabilitate the property substantially. It became very difficult to make the numbers 3 work and maintain the building as affordable housing. As a result, I ntrttaith canceled their contact with the owns. C. April -May Housing Commission Meeting. Alan Gitelson raised the possibiilitr of changing the April 31 asserting of the Ht"icg Commission since it coincides with Passorer. He proposed that the April an d ltag meetings be combined on Thursday-, tiVf 4. V. OTHER BUSINESS R. Schur asked the Commission if they would be interested in having reprcxeautives from the Metropolitan Planning Council {AIPQ come to the nest meeting of the Housing Commission to give a presentation on the Rental \iarket Study that,iPC did last summer. It wzs suggested char the D1PC presentation be given in Minch due to some scheduling conflicts of Housing Commission members. R. Schur said she would set up the presentation. VI. ADJOURN %Vjth no further business before the Commission, the meeting w2s. adjourned at &10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Roberta Schur, Housing Planner 4