Work on local housing politics long enough and you'll start to see the same arguments over and over again. Here's a decoder ring. You could fill a book with the arguments housing opponents use across the nation to oppose new construction. But like just like our
Join us at Kettlestrings, 800 S. Oak Park Avenue, Thur Oct 23, 6PM, to meet other members and discuss what we can do to say Yes! to new housing in Oak Park. The Village Board will soon be considering zoning reform. We need to get organized and ensure that our
Trustee's Wesley and Straw vote against renewing our current zoning laws. Trustee Wesley: “For me, it’s basically approving racism,” he said. “When we drop a new zoning map that is not drawn from the legacy of racism, then I’ll vote ‘yes.’” Oak Park approves zoning map,
Zoning Reform SurveyThis survey aims to understand your attitudes and opinions regarding zoning reform, single family zoning, and missing middle housing.Google Docs
"Freeing space taken up by a stairway allows for exciting design and development possibilities and opens thin urban lots that would otherwise be financially infeasible. Subtracting a second form of egress—which Speckert estimates can cost up to $300,000 for a small building—would also allow funds and
The proposed reforms would increase the allowed lot coverage in denser residential districts and legalize two flats in areas where they are already grandfathered in. Why have residential zoning code updates been stalled? - Forest Park ReviewSix months after it was introduced to the village council, amendments to the residential
Old Town, Edgewater zoning proposals that have neighborhoods divided approved by Plan CommissionZoning proposals have residents in two North Side neighborhoods divided.ABC7 Chicago
Please show up to support diverse housing options for our future at the 'MIMBY' forum. MIMBY has recruited a coalition of groups that have opposed various developments in Oak Park. Candidates for Village Board who advocate for economic development, residential growth, missing middle and affordable housing, can use
NPR's Fresh Air has an excellent interview with Wharton School economist Ben Keys on the causes of our current housing crisis. https://www.npr.org/2024/12/11/nx-s1-5223561/the-u-s-is-facing-a-severe-housing-shortage-will-trumps-proposals-help 'Keys notes that new construction is occurring "at a snail's pace," due, in
How City Politics Has Led to a Housing ShortageChicago desperately needs more housing. But when it comes to building apartments, the city is its own worst enemy.Chicago MagazineLeigh Giangreco Illustration by Robert Neubecker "At City Hall and in Springfield, there’s a growing movement to loosen zoning laws.
One of the arguments we frequently hear about the lack of affordable housing is that it's evidence of a market failure. This argument has been voiced at our own board table. Typically it's made by those who are already skeptical of markets and their role in
Did the shift to remote work cause the post-pandemic run-up in rental and home prices? A research summary from the San Francisco Fed makes the cases that this was a major contributing factor. "The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the way households work. Nearly a third of employees still worked from