The Child Care Assistance Program is facing a real risk of going to a waiting list on July 1st 

Posted 6.27.08 |/ Staff from the Governor’s office briefed advocates today on his plans to cut $1.5 billion from the FY09 budget, including $30 million from the child care budget. 

Enrollment to the CCAP program will stop on July 1st, and reimbursement rate increases and continued investment in the Quality Rating System for center-based providers are on the chopping block. 

Action for Children is hosting an emergency conference call tomorrow to go into more detail about the possible cuts to child care. 

Click on the link below to learn more about the proposed cuts, what you can do to stop them and to get the instructions for tomorrow’s conference call.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/action25485499.aspx

D65 Teacher Contract Negotiations Stall, Become Strained

By Larry Gavin

Contract negotiations between the District 65 School Board and the bargaining team for the District Educators Council, the teachers' union, have become strained. The School Board sent a letter dated June 10 directly to teachers, summarizing the Board's "final offer" and saying the DEC bargaining team rejected the offer. Keith Terry, a School Board member and a member of the Board's negotiating team, told the RoundTable the only reason the Board sent the letter to the teachers was because DEC had sent the teachers a letter saying the Board "failed to bring a fair settlement to us. ..."

Mr. Terry said, "We presented a fair offer. It's balanced. It extends the school day, which is something parents requested. It keeps us focused on educating our kids." He said the Board "stretched its financial resources to make the offer," and added, "We were willing to do what's right for the teachers." He said the Board wanted to put the facts before the teachers.

On June 23 Dorothy Millard, president of DEC, told School Board members at a regularly scheduled Board meeting, "You have jeopardized your relationship with the teachers and with the union leadership" by sending the June 10 letter. She said by sending the letter, the School Board broke "an agreed-upon confidentiality agreement" and "attempted to undermine the authority of our negotiations team.

"We believe that the Board's motive was to force the [DEC] negotiations team and DEC membership to accept a contract that does not fairly and equitably compensate teachers for the work that we do and keep pace with the rising cost of living," she added. "This only rallied the teachers and made it apparent to them why the talks have not resulted in a settlement by the end of the school year."

The Board's June 10 letter told teachers the Board offered to increase the teacher salary schedule by 3 percent in each of the next four years, and to increase "step" movements an average of 2.7 percent per year in the teacher salary schedule. The letter says that almost 80 percent of all returning teachers next year will move up a step and thus receive, on average, a 5.7 percent increase next year. In addition the letter said teachers may receive pay increases due to "track" movements.

The letter gave two examples: a $63,275 salary (slightly less than the average teacher salary) would increase to over $79,000 over the four-year period, with the negotiated increases. The maximum teacher salary would increase from $88,820 to $99,969 between now and the final year of the contract.

The Board's letter says the teams reached tentative agreement on all but one issue: "The DEC team rejected the Board's final offer because it would result in teachers' contractual daily pupil contact time being increased by a maximum of eleven minutes per day."

The DEC team sent teachers an e-mail response to the Board's June 10 letter. DEC characterized the Board's letter as "incomplete and misleading." The DEC team says the average pay increase of 5.7 percent in the first year is counterbalanced by a 20-minute, or a 5 percent, increase in the length of the day, "thus resulting in a less than 1 percent increase in salaries for teachers."

The DEC team also mentioned other issues, among them that the teachers would be expected to pay a greater portion of medical insurance costs, that many teachers would not receive pay increases due to track movements, and that track movements only occur every three years after tenure. The DEC team said their final offer to the Board included two options: one in which additional pupil contract time was reflected in the salary; and one in which there were no changes to the current pupil contract time. The Board rejected both options, DEC said.

Ms. Millard told the School Board on June 23, "Our goal is to bring back a fair and equitable agreement to the teachers." She added, "Both sides must get back to the table. We're waiting to hear from you. We have schools to open and children to teach. We must move past the Board's lack of judgment."

School Board President Mary Erickson responded, "We feel that we have duties not only to give as much as we can in recognition to teachers but also to keep the District on a sound financial and fiscal footing. And that's what we feel our offer did." She added, "We would love to move on and get the negotiations moving to a fruitful end so the teachers would have a contract to vote on before the beginning of the school year. ...We are 100 percent for moving this process along and coming to a fair and equitable conclusion."

Read about New Developments in Evanston (PDF)

With Waters of Promise and Flags of Remembrance, Fountain Square Is Rededicated

Janet Messenger gave a history of Fountain Square at the rededication on Flag Day, June 14. Prayers were offered by Reverend Kate Guistolise and Pastor Mark Dennis. Vernon Clark and Malva Waters provided music.

A flag was raised in Fountain Square on June 14, Flag Day, recalling the 1951 visit of General Douglas MacArthur, who came to Fountain Square to honor Evanstonians who had died in the nation's wars. With the raising of the flag, and speeches, prayers and songs, Fountain Square was rededicated.

Clifford Washington, commander of William B. Snell Post 7186 of Veterans of Foreign Wars, quoted Gen. MacArthur, who said Fountain Square would be "a place for all people to come and remember the men and women who laid down their lives for their country."

Four pillars bear the names of Evanstonians who died in the Civil War, both World Wars, the Korean Conflict and the Viet Nam war.

Still known as Fountain Square, the plaza was renamed Veterans Memorial Plaza in 2003. That conflation of names may represent the twofold function of the place: honoring fallen servicemen and
-women, and serving as the gathering place for the community.

Mayor Lorraine Morton said, "Fountain Square, the flagpole, the bricks and the fountains again establish [Fountain Square] as Evanston's identity in its quest for peace, its gratitude for the supreme sacrifices [of the soldiers] and as evidence of the pride of every citizen."

Historian Janet Messenger described the life of Fountain Square, from its beginning "in 1876, when incorporated Evanston was 13 years old and the country was marking its 100th birthday," to its present. Though never a square, Ms. Messenger said, the plaza was "always for the people."

Evanstonians, Ms. Messenger said, "lit up the Square with a bonfire in 1892, celebrating the merger of Evanston and South Evanston, a union intended to save Evanston from the encroachment of land-hungry Chicago and its non-temperance ways."

Past events that have taken place in Evanston's community plaza include the hanging of the German Kaiser in effigy at the end of World War I; Evanston's first annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, in 1923; the lighting of the new Tallmadge streetlights during the darkness of the Depression, in September 1923; and the gathering of residents to celebrate the end of World War II.

In ending her speech, Ms. Messenger said, "... [W]ith today's rededication, the waters [of the fountain] will delight us again. During the many events held here - including holiday observances, art fairs, music programs and veterans' ceremonies - the water, as that 1876 orator said, will once again be ‘tinted in the sunlight with all the colors of promise.'"

A New Name for Hospital Possible by Next Year

Major Breakup: ENHC and NU Dissolve Affiliation

By Mary Helt Gavin

Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) have agreed to terminate the affiliation agreement between Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, the two institutions' leaders announced recently.

The year-long transition will be completed next June, allowing most of the 200 Northwestern University interns, fellows and residents to be phased out of rotations at the three hospitals owned by ENH - Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital and Highland Park Hospital. Most physicians and researchers at those hospitals - about 700 in all - will no longer be on the faculty of the Feinberg School of Medicine, according to the joint announcement. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare also includes ENH Medical Group (comprising 65 medical offices and facilities), ENH Home Services, ENH Research Institute and ENH Foundation.

Differing Visions
The termination of the agreement stems from different visions by Northwestern and ENH regarding future directions for the respective institutions. Alan Cubbage, vice president for University relations at Northwestern told the RoundTable, "Northwestern University is very much committed to all of the facets of a strong academic medical center - teaching and research as well as the clinical-care component. We have a very good partnership with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center, just as we had in the partnership with ENH."

Mark Neaman, president and chief executive officer of ENH, said, "We recognize the importance of medical education and clinical research in support of our patient-care mission. You can be assured that we will develop a strong academic relationship going forward in support of our steadfast commitment to offer outstanding teaching programs in an academic setting that promotes the clinical teaching and research interests of our physician faculty."

ENH is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Although it wishes to acquire Rush North Shore, ENH says it will not have an academic affiliation with Rush Medical School in Chicago. It is, however, in negotiations with University of Chicago to secure academic affiliation. In addition, Mr. Schroeder said ENH will likely change its name next year.

Differences About Money and Power
The differences appear to be about power and money. Mark Schroeder, director of communications for ENH, told the RoundTable, "NU has increasingly focused their activities on [their] Chicago campuses, with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and then the Children's Memorial Hospital move. They needed agreements to fit with their plans. Despite efforts to come to an understanding for the future, we have been unable to achieve a mutually satisfactory resolution. ... Northwestern's growth and focus downtown over the last few years at the Chicago campuses has made ENH a geographic ‘outlier.'"

Mr. Cubbage said the differences were on "the appointment of chairs of departments and who controls tenure." The power to make such appointments is a factor in the strength and direction of a hospital. Northwestern apparently wished to have greater power in those choices.

Mr. Cubbage added there were "some" financial considerations as well. ENH's Mr. Neaman said Northwestern demanded an additional $20 million for "research and development." The funds would have come from the medical group rather than the hospital, an ENH doctor told the RoundTable.

Impact on the Evanston Community
Evaluation of the impact of this separation on the community of Evanston is ongoing. Evonda Thomas, director of health and human services for the City, told the RoundTable that was one topic of discussion when the Evanston Community Health Task Force met last week.

With the closing of the Evanston Health Department's clinical services last year, City officials said they believed the two hospitals would provide some of the services being discontinued at the City. However, Evanston Hospital officials made no promises other than helping with school services (see pages 22 and 23 of this issue and front page story of the June 11 RoundTable).

One criticism of Evanston Hospital has been that, although it does not pay property taxes on its Evanston property, it does not provide community services proportional to that subsidy. When asked whether Evanston Hospital would offer "more community-based services to Evanston," Mr. Schroeder said, "Each year we expand our community benefits to provide a wider variety of health and education programs. We also broaden our efforts to provide care to the uninsured and underinsured populations we serve. We will continue to take a leadership role in the community by offering resources and support to achieve our mission."

Cool Night, Hot Meeting:

Evanston History Center Looks Cautiously to the Future

By Mary Helt Gavin

With its home closed to the public, the Evanston History Center is taking to the streets, said Marge Wold, president of the board of EHC. At the request of officials of Northwestern University, which owns the building, the Evanston fire department conducted a safety inspection earlier this spring and closed the Dawes House to the public. The fire inspection report recommended several safety upgrades, including improved exit signage, emergency lighting and removal of stored materials from the third floor.

Since the house, EHC's home, has been closed, a battle has been joined on several fronts to work out a deal with Northwestern that would allow EHC to remain in the Dawes House.

Representatives from the ad hoc citizens group General Dawes Returns (GDR) advocate a somewhat confrontational approach with the University. The group hired an actor to impersonate General Charles Gates Dawes, who, many believe, donated his house and his papers to Northwestern University in trust for the citizens of Evanston. Some in that group have demonstrated against the University and have suggested suing Northwestern for the "return" of the building to the citizens of Evanston.

Mimi Peterson, spokesperson for and organizer of GDR, has said that Northwestern president Henry Bienen could improve his "legacy" to Evanston by returning the Dawes House "to the children of this community." Ms. Peterson and several members of the General Dawes Returns group attended the June 18 EHC annual meeting. Some GDR members took issue with the Board's actions and disclosures at that meeting. The group videotaped the meeting and say they plan to put excerpts of it on their website, www.generaldawesreturns.org.

The officers and directors of EHC, on the other hand, say they believe negotiating with Northwestern is preferable, and that the particulars of the negotiations are best kept confidential. "We had a confidentiality requirement," Ms. Wold said, "and our board is comfortable with that." Some persons at the meeting felt differently, one EHC member told the RoundTable. "They felt that something, some information, was being kept from them," Ms. Wold said. "We disagree on how best to work with Northwestern."

She said there have been "several productive meetings with Northwestern. ... We are more hopeful now than we have been since this whole thing began." She added she believes "things will be resolved by the end of the summer" and that EHC might reopen "hopefully, by next fall."

Eugene Sunshine, vice president for business at Northwestern University, told the RoundTable, "We have had several potentiallyproductive conversations with the EHC board-designated individuals, including [Ms. Wold]. We are all listening to each other. That is obvious." He added, "More get-togethersare necessary," and said he is "looking forward to them."

In the meantime, said Ms. Wold, EHC outreach stretches to many parts of Evanston. "Since people can't go to the Dawes House, we are going to other places in the community." EHC plans an exhibit in the windows of First Bank & Trust, 820 Church St., next month, she said. In addition, EHC archivist Lori Osborne is making plans to take materials next year to Evanston Township High School so students can conduct research about their own houses - a popular research project with ETHS students. In addition, she said, each EHC member is entitled to have staff conduct research for "one small project," since the center is closed to the public.

Corrections

The June 11 article on the meeting on the lakefront plan contained several errors. The tentative timeline to begin construction on the lakefront path project is Fall 2009, not Fall 2008. This project is only a portion of Phase One of the Lakefront Master Plan, and the $550,000 grant will fund only part of the expense of the path project.

In addition, there is a simultaneous project to rebuild the restroom located near Clark Street Beach. That project includes relocating the entry drive to the boat ramp from Church Street (its current location) to Clark Street. The boat ramp and sailboat lot will not be relocated to Clark Street Beach. That part of the plan, suggested in an earlier draft, was not in the final plan.
The RoundTable regrets the errors.

Council Bytes

Recognition preceded business at the June 23 City Council meeting.

Recognition
The Delta Chi Omega, Evanston/North Shore graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority was recognized for 60 years of service to the Evanston Community. Dressed in pink, about 20 members of AKA received a proclamation from Mayor Lorraine Morton, also a member of that sorority, congratulating them on their work in the community.

Fire chief Alan Berkowsky introduced Thomas Janetske, who was recently promoted to division chief for fire prevention and who also serves as emergency preparedness manage for the City.

The final awards of the evening were presented by the City's Preservation Commission, for design and preservation. Architects Paul Jaicki, Nathan Kipnis, Meyer Igleski & Associates and Foster Dale were recognized for their architectural contributions to existing Evanston residences and to the Frances Willard House.

Water Fees
Aldermen adopted an ordinance to increase permit fees for new water-service connections. The new fees, for new connections only, are based on the size of the water main connector - the larger the main, the greater the fee.

PACE Dormitory
Aldermen also approved for introduction a special use for National-Louis University to use the property at 1620 Central St. as a dormitory for its PACE program, Professional Assistant Center for Education. The program is a college program for students with multiple disabilities.

The special use would be in the O-1 overlay district, created as part of the Central Street plan approved by Council. Several neighbors objected to the presence of the students, the use of the property as a dormitory, the zoning procedure by which dormitories were permitted in that district as special uses and the removal of the property from the tax rolls.

The special use for dormitories was approved by the City's Plan Commission after the members had approved the overall plan. Neighbors objected that there was insufficient time for community input, that National-Louis would be taking property off the tax rolls and not compensating the City and that the building - formerly an office building - was so close that the students would peer into their windows.

William Roberts, vice president of National-Louis, presented the University's new plans for landscaping - which would create a green barrier between the dorm and the neighbors - and for high casement windows that would open only from the top and would have frosted glass.

Jack Lawlor, attorney for National-Louis, said its plans conformed to the standards for special use and were in keeping with the goals of the City's consolidated plan.

Saying he had been a resident of Evanston since 1969, Mr. Lawlor added, "This application [for a special use] is about the diversity of which we are proud. Here is an opportunity to keep this legacy alive by assuring the continued presence of a program that provides a college education for persons with multiple disabilities and gives them the ability to live independently."

Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, who cast the sole "no" vote to introduce the measure, said she did so because of the "steadfast unwillingness of National-Louis to contribute to property taxes. ... Your cause is creating a diminution of diversity in this community."

Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl, in whose Seventh Ward the building lies, said she supported the special use "with some reservation about the taxes" and added, "PACE has been in the Seventh ward for years and I've heard no complaints." She said she felt the PACE students would be "good neighbors."

Township Budget
Sitting as trustees of Evanston Township, aldermen approved the Township budget for $1.3 million. This represented a reduction of $12,950 in the Township Assessor's budget, from roughly $100,000 to $86,826. The motion was made by Alderman Steve Bernstein, 4thWard, himself a former Township assessor, and approved unanimously. During the budget deliberations, Ald. Rainey refereed to the township audit dated March 31, 2007, which indicated that the Township had about $1.3 million in reserves, invested in bank accounts. She said the budget should be reduced by $500,000 to force the Township to spend its reserves. "I believe in reserves," she said, "but I don't believe in reserves that equal a full year's budget. ... We cannot accept this budget. ... I suggest there is no reason to levy this amount of money against the citizens of Evanston."

Aldermen agreed, though, to approve the budget with Ald. Bernstein's reduction and then speak with the Township supervisor, Patricia Vance.

Council Approves Task Force to Address Affordable Housing

By Larry Gavin

Housing in Evanston is becoming less affordable for families who have low or moderate incomes, the City's Housing Commission reported to the City's Planning and Development Committee meeting on June 9. Susan Munro, chair of the Housing Commission, said a key factor in the reduction of affordable housing is "incomes are not rising as fast as sales prices of homes are rising."

According to an April 2008 report prepared by Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), during the period 2000 to 2006 the median household income in Evanston grew from $56,335 to $62,138, or a 10 percent increase. During the same period, the median sales price for a single-family detached home grew from $343,250 to $550,000, a 60 percent increase; the median sales price for a single-family condominium or townhouse grew from $171,500 to $276,500, a 61 percent increase.

Despite the recent downturn in the general real estate market, median sales prices in Evanston have increased since 2006. According to data provided by Ms. Munro, the median sales price for a single-family detached home was $552,875 in the last three months; the median sales price for condominiums was $299,000.

"There will continue to be unmet housing needs for people of low and moderate incomes," BPI says. "Proactive housing policies and programs are critical to stemming the tide of a growing affordability problem." The BPI report, commissioned by Evanston Housing 4 All, a network of volunteers and social service and housing providers, was presented to the P&D Committee on June 9 by the Housing Commission.

The City's One Year Action Plan for FY 2008/09 (for using federal CDBG, HOME and ESG funds) similarly concluded, "The overriding issue in Evanston is the growing disparity between income growth and increases in the cost of living. Housing costs are significantly above the average costs in the Chicago metropolitan area and are exacerbated by high taxes and rapidly increasing utility costs."

Ald. Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, told the RoundTable, "The BPI Report shows there is a serious need for affordable housing in Evanston. The need is only going to grow through time."

Fifth Ward Alderman Delores Holmes told the RoundTable, "I am very concerned because there are so many foreclosures in my ward. The connection between these foreclosures and affordability is very real. The economy is pushing folks out of our community."

At the Housing Commission's recommendation, City Council decided on June 9 to form a task force to develop a comprehensive plan to address affordable housing.

Housing Prices/Income
A household earning less than 80 percent of the area median income in the Chicago metropolitan area (AMI) is regarded as low-income under HUD's and the City's definitions. A household earning between 80 percent and 100 percent of the AMI is regarded as moderate income.

Under HUD guidelines, a household should pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing, including rent or mortgage, property taxes, utilities and condominium assessments. A family of four with an income of $37,700 (50 percent of the AMI for a family of four) could afford a home priced at $113,100. A family of four with an income of $59,600 (80 percent of the AMI for a family of four) could afford a home priced at $178,800.

The median sales price for single-family homes far exceeds what a family of four earning even a moderate income could afford. The median sale price for a single-family detached home in Evanston is about $550,000, more than three times what a family of four earning $59,600 (80 percent of the AMI) could afford. The median sales price for a single-family condominium or townhouse is about $300,000, about $120,000 more than a family of four earning $59,600 could afford.

Evanston's median home sale prices "remained out of reach for low- and moderate-income persons," the City concluded in its Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report for Fiscal Year 2007/2008 (CAPER). "The majority of homes below the median are one- and two-bedroom condominium units. High prices coupled with the contraction in mortgage financing and negligible growth in incomes creates an ongoing scarcity of affordable housing."

BPI analyzed the number of homes listed for sale in Evanston in February 2008 to determine the number of homes affordable for low- and moderate- income families. This study found that there were no detached homes and only three condominiums or townhouses, with two or more bedrooms, affordable for families earning $37,700 (50 percent of the AMI); there were three detached homes and 37 condominiums or townhouses, with two or more bedrooms, affordable for families earning $59,600 (80 percent of the AMI). This was about five percent of the homes listed for sale in Evanston.

BPI concluded, "Only a small percentage of homes with two or more bedrooms (attached and detached) were priced affordably for low- and moderate-income families."

The Rental Market
In 2000 there were 4,257 rental units in Evanston that contained two or more bedrooms and that were affordable for a family of four earning $59,600 (80 percent of the AMI), according to BPI's report. While data is not available for 2006, BPI conclude based on trends in the rental market that the number of rental units has declined.

Fewer rental options exist for lower-income households in Evanston. The City's CAPER concludes, "There is a very limited number of rental units affordable to very low-income persons without housing choice vouchers or other subsidy."

As of January 2008, 618 housing choice vouchers (formerly known as Section 8 vouchers) were used in Evanston, down from 1,123 in 2003. The voucher holders are concentrated in south and west Evanston.

The City's Efforts
The City works with community housing development organizations (CHDOs) and private developers to increase the supply of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons. In the last four years the City approved federal HOME grants totaling about $2.4 million to CHDOs and private developers to subsidize the development of nine housing projects containing a total of 30 dwelling units - condominiums, townhouses or single-family homes. The average subsidy per housing unit was about $80,000. The City has also used HOME and CDBG funds to rehab apartment and other buildings and to assist persons with down-payments.

In addition, the City recently passed three ordinances that address affordability issues:
• An Affordable Housing Demolition tax, which imposes a tax of $10,000 on teardowns of residential properties that do not result in replacement housing for the current owners. The City has collected a total of $220,000 since the ordinance was enacted, according to the City's CAPER. The taxes are placed in the City's Affordable Housing Fund.
• An Inclusionary Housing ordinance which requires that 10 percent of the units in new, residential, owner-occupied developments with 25 or more units to be affordable dwelling units. In lieu of providing affordable units in the development, developers may pay a "fee-in-lieu" of $40,000 per required affordable unit into the City's Affordable Housing Fund. According to the City's CAPER, the City has collected about $380,000 in fees-in-lieu.
• A Downpayment Assistance Program under which the City may make forgivable loans up to $25,000 or $30,000 to households earning up to 100 percent of the AMI. The program is funded with federal HOME funds and the City's Affordable Housing Fund.

Sue Calder, chair of Housing 4 All, told the RoundTable, "I think the City has made good strides forward, but we have a ways to go. The percent of affordable housing is declining."

The Task Force
At the City's P&D Committee meeting, the Housing Commission recommended that the City adopt a comprehensive plan to address affordable housing. Ms. Munro said the comprehensive plan should set meaningful goals, strategies and timelines for developing affordable rental and home-ownership units in particular areas of the City. She said this would guide CHDOs who plan affordable housing projects and who request HOME grant subsidies to assist in their projects.

"What makes it difficult for CHDOs is the unpredictability," Ms. Munro told the RoundTable. "If a goal is to have 100 new rental units on the west side, they would have some predictability that a project would be approved if it satisfied that goal." She added, "It would also create more of an onus on City staff to work with CHDOs to develop housing that met the City's goals."

Ms. Calder told the RoundTable the comprehensive plan should address, "how we can put affordable housing units throughout the City and not just in certain wards." She said if it costs more to purchase and develop housing in certain areas, such as along Central Street, "maybe we just have to do that."

Ald. Moran said he hoped the task force "would build consensus on how we pursue affordable housing," and that it would "find some way to build greater momentum to addressing affordable housing."

"Families of four making $60,000 are finding it difficult to find affordable housing in the City," Alderman Cheryl Wollin, 1st Ward, told the RoundTable. "I'm hoping the task force comes up with a comprehensive plan that will carefully list our priorities so we can address the needs in a very specific way." She suggested the task force could explore working with large employers in Evanston to develop employer-assisted housing.

"I'm hoping the task force will look at ‘who are we talking about,'" Ald. Holmes told the RoundTable. "If we are going to keep diversity, that has to be a consideration. ... People who go to work every day, and who make $40,000 a year, can't afford to live here. The City needs to be more aggressive in finding ways to make this happen. Let's be as creative as we can be to keep low-income people in the community."

Several persons told the RoundTable the City should strengthen the Inclusionary Housing ordinance by expanding its application to rental developments and to smaller projects, by making the requirement to include affordable housing units in a project mandatory (not waivable by paying a fee-in-lieu), or by increasing the fee-in-lieu from $40,000 to $100,000. Ms. Munro said the fee should be high enough to cover the cost of developing an affordable housing unit off-site. Chicago and three other communities in the area have fees of $100,000 or more, she added.

Ald. Moran suggested the task force should also consider providing incentives to developers that would make it beneficial to include affordable units in a project. He said making some concessions to increase density of developments may be necessary to create affordable housing.

At the June 9 meeting, Eighth Ward Alderman Ann Rainey said, in the context of opposing an additional subsidy to a housing developer for a single family home, that the City should consider providing homebuyers with down-payment assistance rather than subsidizing housing developers to develop affordable housing units. She said there are many condominiums available on the market in all parts of the City, and if the City provided homebuyers with down payment assistance, they could select where they wanted to buy a home. She said, "Why aren't we stopping and stepping back and saying could we get more for our money if we had a different policy. We give most of our money to the developers who write down the cost for one family."