More evidence of the inability of the Illinois Housing Planning and Appeal Act to achieve its stated goals.
"More than six years after it was created, a state [of Illinois] board designed to prod municipalities into building affordable housing has yet to hear one case," reports Natalie Moore.
"The Illinois Housing Appeals Board was established in 2009 as part of the Illinois Housing Planning and Appeal Act (2003)," adds Moore. That's the same rule that some affluent suburbs in the state flout without fear of reprisal, according to reports from earlier this year. State law requires cities with less than ten percent affordable housing to provide affordable housing plans to the state. The law also allows developers to appeal rejected affordable housing proposals with the Housing Appeals Board.
Board chair Warren Wolfson, a retired judge turned law professor, is quoted in the article saying that meetings involved the board sitting and staring at each other. According to the article, suburbs and towns undercut the board's authority invoking "home rule," which Moore defines as "the right to self-govern without state intervention."
The article includes more discussion of the consequences of the impotence of the board and, by extension, the law.
FULL STORY: Affordable housing appeals board: 'We just sit and stare at each other'
Wealthy Suburbs Flout Illinois' Affordable Housing Mandate
The state of Illinois finds itself without a "stick" to enforce the mandates of its Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act. Towns have noticed and are flouting the law.
Legislation Introduced to Support Adaptive Reuse of Federal Buildings
The proposed bill would promote the conversion of vacant and underused buildings into affordable housing.
Opinion: Unhoused People Need Housing, Not Law Enforcement
The sharp increase in the unhoused population calls for urgent action, not criminalization.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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