The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and its partners have engaged a number of projects to help area municipalities achieve a balanced and healthy housing stock.

Homes for a Changing Region

The Homes for a Changing Region program helps municipalities identify solutions to their most pressing housing challenges, create a balanced mix of housing types, and serve the needs of multiple generations of residents and workers. Over the last 18 years, Homes has helped municipalities endure the housing bubble of the 2000s, the Great Recession and foreclosures of the 2010s, and the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020s.

Homes for a Changing Region is a good fit for any municipality grappling with important housing questions, including:

  • Who lives in the community I serve? Are they spending too much on housing?
  • Can existing residents afford to stay here in years to come?
  • What is my community’s capacity to accommodate future residents?
  • Does this development proposal make sense for my community?

Homes provides fast and highly targeted technical assistance through a housing needs assessment, discussion of local stakeholders, panel of housing experts, and a final action plan. The Caucus has received funding for this project from the Chicago Community Trust, Harris Family Foundation, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Homes for a Changing Region Plans and Successes

Since the inception of Homes, program partners have worked in more than 60 municipalities. These plans helped set the stage for approximately 3,350 units of affordable housing financed through the state Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. Previous plans are below.

2021-2023: Cicero, Fox Lake, Lockport, Park Ridge, Richton Park, Summit, Woodridge

2018-2021: Antioch, Beach Park, Bridgeport/Canaryville, Broadview, Calumet Park, Harvey, Naperville, Oak Forest, Sauk Village, Warrenville

2017: Des Plaines, North Lawndale, Steger

2016: Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park

2015:  Addison, Bensenville, Villa Park, Wood Dale

2014:  Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, St. Charles 
Carpentersville, East Dundee, Elgin, West Dundee

2010-2013: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Rolling Meadows
Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood, Oak Park
Hazel Crest, Lansing, Olympia Fields, Park Forest

2007-2009: Blue Island, Plainfield, Woodstock
Gurnee, Montgomery, Northlake
Aurora, Libertyville, Oak Forest

Original Homes for a Changing Region Report

Home Grown

Home Grown logoThis online collection—compiled by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Metropolitan Planning Council and CMAP—describes a number of housing “best practices” implemented by local governments around the Chicago metropolitan region. Each case study covers a housing policy, development, program or financing strategy; how it works; why it was successful; and how it was funded. Home Grown was updated in 2015 as a part of the Homes for a Changing Region Toolkit.