Equitable Zoning Project
In 2020, Joining Forces launched its Equitable Zoning Project (EZP) to evaluate whether the zoning code in Evanston was contributing to high housing costs, difficulty in creating affordable housing, and racial and socio-economic equity. Here’s a summary of the work to-date.
1. Initial Review by Joining Forces for Affordable Housing
Joining Forces first conducted its own analysis of Title 6 of the City of Evanston’s zoning code—the section entitled Zoning. The result of that review is in our blog post, “Advocating for Affordability and Equity in North Shore Zoning.”
2. Diagnostic Review
To get an objective opinion on Evanston’s zoning code from zoning experts, Joining Forces engaged with ZoneCo LLC, a consultancy based in Cincinnati that was in the process of developing its own new equitable zoning methodology. ZoneCo analyzed all 800 or so lines of the code from an equity perspective. The result was an “Initial Findings” report, delivered in November 2021. ZoneCo’s findings supported Joining Forces’ evaluation that the Evanston Zoning Code has a clear focus on preserving property values and maintaining the “character of the community,” with a distinct lack of focus on preserving affordability and equity, or on ensuring that people have stable places to live that support them in meeting all their basic needs.
3. Selection of Partners for Gathering Community Input
To evaluate whether conclusions drawn from the reviews of the zoning code were accurate, we decided to gather feedback from those community members who are potentially affected by zoning in negative ways and who represent the people with the greatest challenges regarding affordable housing. We embarked on a community input phase of the EZP, with two main goals:
To identify who we wanted to gather feedback from, Joining Forces looked at the demographics of the people that Connections for the Homeless serves—all people who are struggling with the lack of affordable housing. Overwhelmingly, Connections’ clientele includes:
To help with community engagement, Connections for the Homeless applied for and received grants from the following organizations:
The following community groups were engaged to help with gathering the community input:
4. Data Collection
Each group developed its own strategy to 1) reach people within their own spheres of influence, and 2) elicit substantive answers on the topic of zoning.
Using a survey and focus groups, the community groups recruited more than 500 people to provide input on the impact that land use decisions have had on them and on their opinions regarding the trade-offs that need to be made when zoning decisions are considered.
5. Data Analysis and Next Steps
Joining Forces is in the process of analyzing the data to determine what it says about how people with different demographics answered the survey questions and responded during the focus groups. From that analysis, we will be developing a report that documents our findings and evaluates whether they support the findings in Joining Forces’ and ZoneCo’s reviews of the zoning code.
This report will be used in several ways:
Click here to return to our Zoning Committee page
1. Initial Review by Joining Forces for Affordable Housing
Joining Forces first conducted its own analysis of Title 6 of the City of Evanston’s zoning code—the section entitled Zoning. The result of that review is in our blog post, “Advocating for Affordability and Equity in North Shore Zoning.”
2. Diagnostic Review
To get an objective opinion on Evanston’s zoning code from zoning experts, Joining Forces engaged with ZoneCo LLC, a consultancy based in Cincinnati that was in the process of developing its own new equitable zoning methodology. ZoneCo analyzed all 800 or so lines of the code from an equity perspective. The result was an “Initial Findings” report, delivered in November 2021. ZoneCo’s findings supported Joining Forces’ evaluation that the Evanston Zoning Code has a clear focus on preserving property values and maintaining the “character of the community,” with a distinct lack of focus on preserving affordability and equity, or on ensuring that people have stable places to live that support them in meeting all their basic needs.
3. Selection of Partners for Gathering Community Input
To evaluate whether conclusions drawn from the reviews of the zoning code were accurate, we decided to gather feedback from those community members who are potentially affected by zoning in negative ways and who represent the people with the greatest challenges regarding affordable housing. We embarked on a community input phase of the EZP, with two main goals:
- Increase access and engagement among people most impacted by the lack of affordable housing
- Gather substantive input from those people about the impact of the affordable housing shortage on them and about how zoning might be contributing to the problem
To identify who we wanted to gather feedback from, Joining Forces looked at the demographics of the people that Connections for the Homeless serves—all people who are struggling with the lack of affordable housing. Overwhelmingly, Connections’ clientele includes:
- People with low incomes (in households with annual incomes lower than $75,000)
- People of color
- People with disabilities
To help with community engagement, Connections for the Homeless applied for and received grants from the following organizations:
- Chicago Community Trust
- Evanston Community Foundation
- Cornerstone Foundation
The following community groups were engaged to help with gathering the community input:
- Center for Independent Futures
- Evanston Cradle to Career’s Advocates for Action
- Evanston Latinos
- Evanston NAACP
- Evanston Own It
- Laude Consulting, in partnership with Radio La Difference
- VAJM Consulting
4. Data Collection
Each group developed its own strategy to 1) reach people within their own spheres of influence, and 2) elicit substantive answers on the topic of zoning.
Using a survey and focus groups, the community groups recruited more than 500 people to provide input on the impact that land use decisions have had on them and on their opinions regarding the trade-offs that need to be made when zoning decisions are considered.
5. Data Analysis and Next Steps
Joining Forces is in the process of analyzing the data to determine what it says about how people with different demographics answered the survey questions and responded during the focus groups. From that analysis, we will be developing a report that documents our findings and evaluates whether they support the findings in Joining Forces’ and ZoneCo’s reviews of the zoning code.
This report will be used in several ways:
- It is being provided to the Community Groups who conducted the research and helped develop the report so that they can share it with the people whose input they gathered.
- It will be included as input into the City of Evanston’s upcoming projects to develop a new Comprehensive Plan and rewrite its zoning code.
- Joining Forces will use pieces of it to continue its community education and advocacy for zoning reform, in Evanston, in surrounding municipalities, and at the State level.
Click here to return to our Zoning Committee page
