Daily Herald opinion: Celebrating success: Glen Ellyn project to help address need for affordable housing

Last week, a group of people packed a Glen Ellyn church to celebrate the fact that work will soon begin on a new affordable housing project. The celebration was well-deserved.

Residents and members of the group DuPage United spent several years advocating for a site in Glen Ellyn to be transformed into affordable, accessible and supportive housing.

They worked closely with Full Circle Communities, a Chicago-based nonprofit affordable-housing developer, to achieve that goal, which was possible because the village had acquired former hotel properties near Roosevelt Road in January 2022.

After a great deal of discussion, it was decided last year that Glen Ellyn would sell nearly an acre of that land to Full Circle for $1.75 million. Now, village trustees are expected to vote next month on an agreement to demolish a shuttered hotel on the western parcels, paving the way for the nonprofit to begin construction of a 42-unit apartment building.

Once complete, the new building will have a mix of studios and one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. At least 55% of the units will be set aside as supportive housing for individuals with disabilities.

In addition to providing housing for people with disabilities, the building will allow hardworking but low-paid individuals to live in the same community where they labor.

Senior writer Katlyn Smith reported that the Glen Ellyn development will serve individuals or families earning between 30% and 80% of the area’s median income.

“Our community faces a challenge that reaches into every neighborhood and every household: the urgent need for affordable housing,” Glen Ellyn Village Trustee Steve Thompson said. “This isn't a city problem or a suburban problem. It's a fundamental issue of economic stability and social equity that affects us all, from our workforce to our families, from our seniors to our young adults just starting out.”

We wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for young people just starting their careers to afford a home. And some older empty nesters are forced to leave their communities to downsize.

Arlington Heights trustees voted in January to approve Full Circle’s plans to build 25 apartments for people with disabilities and veterans. The developer also turned the former Larkin Center campus in Elgin into an affordable housing community.

Those accomplishments are notable. Still, more needs to be done to increase the affordable housing stock in the suburbs.

Instead of proposing 50-year mortgages, elected leaders should do what they can to encourage more builders to create affordable housing. For example, fees could be waived and the review processes could be streamlined for certain projects. Even zoning laws could be updated to allow for more creative housing options.

Hopefully, with enough focus and attention, affordable housing success stories like those in Arlington Heights, Elgin, and Glen Ellyn can be repeated throughout the suburbs.