Northfield’s new policy aims to increase affordable housing from 6% to 10%

The Village of Northfield has updated its affordable housing plan, providing information on the amount of affordable opportunities within the Village, possibilities for expanding those opportunities, and the challenges that exist in doing that.

The updated affordable housing plan, approved at the Village Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, April 15, received unanimous support and featured minimal discussion.

Village Attorney Mallory Milluzzi said during a public hearing prior to the board’s vote that the update was prompted by new requirements that are a part of the Illinois Affordable Housing, Planning and Appeal Act.

She said the Village’s affordable housing plan now includes several elements, including:

• The total number of housing units in the Village;
• Identification of land where affordable housing is appropriate;
• Existing structures that may be converted to affordable housing, and
• Plans to eliminate barriers to affordable housing

“There’s no specific thing that we are required to do at this time under the affordable housing plan,” Milluzzi said. “But (it) more kind of starts a discussion point for the future to keep in mind.”

According to the plan, Northfield has a goal that 10% of its homes qualify as affordable housing. Currently, 6.3% of the village’s 2,383 “year-round housing units” are considered affordable.

Among the potential ideas for affordable housing expansion, the village’s plan suggests adding affordable housing near bus stops to activate public transportation and near shopping locations, including grocery stores and pharmacies, for convenience.

Another suggestion is to retrofit “obsolete office buildings along Central Avenue and Frontage Road into affordable housing developments.”

Trustee Barnaby Dinges said he hopes that the Village and community will continue discussing affordable housing opportunities.

“I think it’s just a good discussion for a community to have, and maybe not every four years,” he said. “Maybe any time a development or opportunity comes along. It’d be nice if we talk about it a little more.”

Trustees seek more information on village-owned condominium units

In addition to approving the affordable housing plan, trustees also discussed six condominium units that are owned by the village, and what they may do with them in the future.

During the board’s Committee of the Whole session on April 15, Village Manager Patrick Brennan told trustees that while staff was researching Northfield’s affordable housing, they began looking into six units at 308 Happ Road that have been owned by the village since the late 1980s.

Brennan said he couldn’t figure out why the village owned the properties, but believes “the village either purchased or was granted those at a discount to provide senior housing opportunities in the community.”

He brought the matter to trustees because he wanted to learn if they were still interested in owning the units, which are all currently occupied, and, if so, how they should be managed.

Trustees expressed that they would like to have more information on the condominiums before making a decision, with some saying they’d like an updated analysis on them.

The units were last analyzed in 2014, according to the board packet.

Trustee Todd Fowler, who works in real estate, said he would like to know what the units are currently worth before he decides on what to do with them.

“Until I understand what it’s worth, I can’t tell you whether or not it makes sense to own them, or to maybe put a mortgage on them,” he said, later adding, “I think there are a lot of variables here that still need to be sussed out, but I understand why you’re bringing it to us, because it is sort of a depreciating asset if we don’t address it and get in front of it.”

Trustee Tracey Mendrek agreed and said she would like to see an analysis of all the appliances.

Her comments were made after Brennan said the village will be replacing a furnace that is expected to cost around $7,000.

“I’d like to know the shelf life of the appliances and the HVAC in the other units,” she said. “If they’re all the original HVAC systems, are we looking at $7,000 every two, three, four months?”

She also expressed support for an independent real estate agent to look at the units to say how much they’re worth if the village decides to sell them.

Dinges wondered if the village could use the condominiums as temporary housing for new village employees.

“I’m thinking this could be a nice differentiator for our government to have some units close (to Village Hall),” he said.

Brennan said he would return to the board for a future Committee of the Whole meeting with an updated assessment, likely sometime in the next six months.

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