The Village of Winnetka’s Plan Commission recently considered, and adopted, a plan to expand the availability of affordable housing in the affluent village. The plan moves on to consideration by the Village Council.
If you only read the muddled report on the plan in this Trib Local article, and the resident e-mails linked in that article, you’ll come away with a highly misleading impression of the plan’s requirements and, worse, of the level of intelligence at which Winnetkans considered the issues. The e-mails ran almost four to one against the proposed plan, and reflect a dim understanding of its contents and objectives.
You’ll gain a much better understanding of the plan, and its objectives, by reading the full draft report (PDF) considered by the Plan Commission, and the FAQ’s (PDF) at the Village Web site.
One of the great strengths of the North Shore communities has historically been the relative permanence of their residents. People moved to a community at one stage in their life cycle and moved within it as their economic circumstances and family needs changed.
As North Shore housing became increasingly expensive over the years, they became less able to accommodate these changing circumstances and more transient. The notion of “affordable housing” takes on a different cast when it’s considered from the viewpoint of enabling young people to move to a community and remain within it as their family composition and income change.
You’ll find a wealth of info, links and video in YoChicago’s Guide to moving to Winnetka.