ULI CHICAGO PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please contact Cynthia McSherry, Executive Director, ULI Chicago, 773-549-4972, [email protected]

CHICAGO (February 21, 2014) – The Urban Land Institute Chicago (ULI Chicago) has released a report with recommendations to improve affordable housing options in Aurora as a result of a two-day technical assistance panel convened in July of last year in partnership with the Metropolitan Planning Council. The 11-member expert panel, chaired by Lynn Ross, Executive Director of ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, interviewed over 70 local stakeholders in addition to touring the area and reviewing detailed background material to develop near and longer term strategies to create balanced, mixed-income neighborhoods throughout Aurora.

To address Aurora’s shortage of high quality affordable housing options, and to replace the 145 units lost in the demolition of Jericho Circle, a former public housing development, the panel recommended providing an array of affordable housing options. These include improving the quality and availability of rental housing, explor¬ing opportunities for both adaptive re-use and new construction in the downtown and along commercial corridors, and continuing the implementation of scattered-site affordable housing across the city. In addition, the panel recommended exploring non-housing alternatives for the Jericho site due to its limited ac¬cess, isolation, and strong negative perception among community residents.

The panel was a collaboration between the City of Aurora and the Aurora Housing Authority to improve and expand safe, affordable housing options to build a stable and healthy community. Read the full Affordable Housing Strategies Technical Assistance Report

The ULI Chicago Technical Assistance Services program draws upon ULI member expertise to provide creative and practical solutions to land use challenges in communities across the Chicago region and beyond. For more information visit chicago.uli.org

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ULI Chicago (chicago.uli.org), a District Council of the Urban Land Institute organized in 1986, has more than 1,200 members in the Chicago land area. ULI Chicago’s Technical Assistance Services program offers a variety of services to municipalities faced with land use challenges. The cornerstone of our program is the ability to connect the public sector to the professional, interdisciplinary expertise of ULI members. ULI Chicago’s Technical Assistance Services program was started in 2002.

The ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing (uli.org) engages in a multifaceted program of work that includes research, publications, convenings, awards, and technical assistance. Their mission is to facilitate creating and sustaining a full spectrum of housing opportunities—including affordable and workforce housing—in communities across the country.

Metropolitan Planning Council (metroplanning.org) Since 1934, MPC has been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, MPC serves communities and residents by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth.