Aurora to study affordable housing

Come January, Aurora aldermen and city staff should have a better understanding of what “affordable housing” means in their community.

A housing study approved Tuesday will define affordable housing and determine if the city is providing enough of it to meet requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The study comes as the Aurora Housing Authority is planning to demolish a West-side housing project known as Jericho Circle and redevelop more housing at the site unless another viable site is found.

The study is necessary because the housing authority has not engaged the community in a public process to look at the future of affordable housing in Aurora, Mayor Tom Weisner said.

The consulting firm hired to conduct the $30,318 study, Community Planning and Development Advisors LLC, of Waukesha, Wis., now will be tasked with running such a public process.

“We want to involve the community as much as we can to take a look at what the (housing) situation is in Aurora at this time,” said Marcia Bergeson, president of the consulting firm.

The study had the support of nine aldermen.

“I’m interested to see the results of this study,” Alderman Rick Mervine said. “I look at this as part of our due diligence to be able to ... protect all the residents of this city including all the residents that are or have been in an AHA facility.”

Aldermen Abby Schuler and Scheketa Hart-Burns abstained because they have relatives who sit on the housing authority’s board.

Alderman Rick Lawrence voted against the study, saying he is concerned its results are predetermined because the consulting firm plans to review information provided by the housing authority. He said he thinks the study is a “means to an end” of rebuilding more public housing at Jericho Circle, which he opposes.

Community Planning and Development Advisors will begin the study by compiling and building upon existing studies of housing in Aurora and will make sure to include the housing authority in dialogues during the process.

“Public housing is a huge part of affordable housing in any community,” Bergeson said.

The study will include a needs assessment of affordable housing, a list of possible sites where affordable housing could be developed and a review of best management practices for such development, according to a memo from the consulting firm.

Although the city did not set aside money specifically for the expense of conducting a housing study, funds are available in a line item for consulting fees, said Carie Anne Ergo, chief management officer.

“$30,000 can be found for something that really needs to get done,” Mervine said. “It’s a very good rate for the work that’s being done.”