Housing & Community Development Committee Meeting 9-15-2026

The City of Evanston Housing & Community Development Committee met on September 15, 2026, to discuss several procurement and funding matters related to affordable housing and community development. Key procurement-related actions included approval of a scattered site acquisition pilot program funded by reallocated ARPA funds to preserve affordable housing units at risk of losing affordability restrictions. The committee also discussed and approved expanding the CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation program to multifamily buildings, with a $300,000 initial funding allocation and loan repayment terms designed to sustain the program. Additionally, the committee reviewed draft funding allocations for the 2027 action plan, covering Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grants, with a focus on maintaining or increasing housing and homelessness services funding. The meeting included a detailed discussion on the inclusionary housing ordinance, exploring potential changes to affordability terms for rental units and the impact of property tax abatements and development incentives on affordable housing production. The committee voted to reconsider and table the multifamily housing rehab program expansion for further review at a future meeting. Overall, the meeting focused on strategies to preserve and expand affordable housing through targeted acquisitions, rehabilitation funding, and policy adjustments to the inclusionary housing program.