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View our presentation from the community session
When it comes to neighborhood character, we believe it’s the people that matter most.
When it comes to neighborhood character, we believe it’s the people that matter most.
The rising cost of housing is putting our community at risk of resegregation.
Oak Parkers for Affordable Housing (OP4AH) is advocating for progressive housing policies to protect Oak Park’s legacy of racial integration, address the declining trends in racial and socio-economic diversity, and ensure Oak Park remains a community for everyone.
Only 23.4% of our housing stock is considered affordable
Only 23.4% of our housing stock is considered affordable
Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) defines Oak Park as a “low affordability” community, meaning our stock of affordable housing is less than 40% of total units.
40% of Oak Park renters are housing cost-burdened
40% of Oak Park renters are housing cost-burdened
Households spending more than 30% of income on housing are considered housing cost-burdened. 75% of Oak Parkers making less than $50,000 a year are housing cost-burdened.
A more effective IHO
A more effective IHO
Oak Park passed an inclusionary housing ordinance (IHO) in 2019 to encourage developers to build affordable units in their developments. However, it has not resulted in any on-site units to-date. Our peers in Evanston, Highland Park, and Chicago have had far more success.
This is because of the IHO’s limited applicability within the Village and because it is easy to opt out of meeting these requirements.
We want to make the IHO more effective. Read our proposal here.
A FEW KEY HOUSING FACTS ABOUT OAK PARK
A FEW KEY HOUSING FACTS ABOUT OAK PARK
75% of Oak Parkers making less than $50,000 a year are housing cost-burdened.
Our “low affordability” designation from the IHDA entitles our Village to a special Cook County property tax incentive program designed for developers to build affordable units in their market-rate developments.
A key housing study on affordability commissioned by the Village (2024) documents Oak Park’s growing residential segregation due to the rising costs of housing and the lack of options in housing prices and housing variety. Northwest and West Oak Park are considerably less diverse than Oak Park as a whole, and over the past decade Oak Park has lost more Black residents than any other demographic.
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