Candidate Discussions of Affordable Housing in Evanston

Elections for Evanston's mayor and aldermen are coming up in April 2021. Joining Forces has asked organizers of candidate forums to include questions on affordable housing, if they hadn't already planned to do so.

What we are finding so far is that 1) forum organizers are asking the most general of the questions, and 2) candidates are giving the most general answers.

What we'd really like to know are much more specific ideas and opinions. However, these questions are both tough and controversial. Some of the candidates are moving towards them, and we are encouraged by that--but impatient for more momentum.

REAL Housing Questions for Evanston Candidates

• Where in your ward do you feel you could advocate for a new building with at least 12 units of deeply affordable housing? How would you advocate for it?

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• If the only place to create new units in your ward would require you to choose between minimizing change in the neighborhood and creating new units, which would you choose and why is the one more important than the other?

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• What would you do to make sure that a new affordable housing plan does not "get put on the shelf"?

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• If you would object to allowing multi-family buildings of 4 units or less in currently single-family-only zones, why? And what strategies would you propose instead that would allow at least the same level of new affordable units that such zoning changes would allow?

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• If a new building will not include as many affordable units as you think it should, what alternative do you see OTHER than the following: 1) Approve the building in order to get the affordable units offered, or 2)Nix the building and not get any affordable units?

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• What ideas do you have for increasing the amount of money the City has to spend on housing subsidies and new affordable housing to at least $5 million a year?