Continued...

Working Together

The joint proposal required the communities to work together to prioritize where limited federal dollars would be most effective. This was a true feat of cooperation, since any given community could not ask for as much funding as they might have were they to apply on their own. But Janice Morrissy, the coordinator overseeing the south suburbs’ collaboration, noted that community leaders realize they will all benefit if the most struggling or blighted areas in neighboring suburbs are addressed. For example the villages of Lansing and Olympia Fields participated in crafting the state proposal even though they won’t get any dollars from it. Lansing has a median household income of $49,000, Olympia Fields $95,000, making them better off economically than south suburban communities like Robbins (median income $24,000) and Harvey (median income $39,000), which are seeking NSP funds. As ethnically diverse, solidly middle or upper-middle class communities, Lansing and Olympia Fields are demographically the type of development regional planners want to preserve.

“Olympia Fields has said that what’s important for this first joint funding opportunity is that Harvey gets what it needs and the support to spend it well,” said Robin Snyderman, vice president of housing and community development for the Metropolitan Planning Council.

Working together also allows the suburbs to think bigger and take advantage of economies of scale in terms of acquiring, redeveloping and selling or renting properties and attracting private sector investment.

The south suburban communities’ plan as a whole calls for acquiring property for the creation or preservation of 474 homes. Once those homes sell, more money will be available for ongoing similar efforts. Building on a study by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the south suburbs also plan to acquire then demolish and land-bank about 200 units for future redevelopment in support of mixed-income, mixed-use activities that help spark development near mass transit and help people live closer to work. These developments will attract private sector investors, and the nonprofit Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation (CMHDC) is overseeing the acquisition and construction activities of these private sector partners.

Local players say the collaboration was possible largely because of a long history of cooperation among the suburbs.

“It’s about caring about our neighbors, what positive impact can we have on our neighbors,” said Dolton village administrator Bert Herzog. “The way Riverdale goes is the way Dolton is going to go, and the way Dolton is going to go is the way South Holland is going to go. I have never seen the spirit of cooperation we have now.”

“The notion of collaboration isn’t new, but the model these towns created together in time for NSP 1 was pretty striking,” added Snyderman.

National housing advocates who toured the south suburbs during a National Housing Conference symposium in Chicago in July said other regions are on the same track but have a ways to go to build the Chicago suburbs’ level of collaboration.

“I’m hoping to see more regional examples, but it’s tough to make it work politically,” said Maya Brennan, a New Jersey resident and research assistant for the Center for Housing Policy. “There’s NIMBYism, people have this idea that working with the town next to them will somehow change their town’s character. It’s an odd psychology that exists in some communities.”