The region where the YMCA wants a large SRO Supportive Living for
the Indigent, Including Drug Rehab, Alcoholic rehab, and more.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
A Large Gathering of Neighbors and Others With Vested Interests Spoke Their Views On Our Responsibilities.
report by Ed Vincent
The photo above shows the area where the YMCA would like
to see Supportive housing built, in a large context. The study
of financial feasibility showed that the current YMCA facility
could not be rehabbed for a reasonable cost and will more
than likely be sold to another developer for different purpose,
a purpose that would have to pass Oak Park zoning and hearings.
Ms. Janet Hasz Addresses Supportive
Housing issues.It was noted early that persons and agencies who paid for the
study took no note of the impact on the region or neighborhood in Oak Park. A local resident who had been raised in Chicago
housing project, and who now lives near the proposed site,
spoke out against the concentration of persons to be housed
there. He felt that the building would just be another name
for a housing project-the kind he moved away from with all
of its problems.
The YMCA and group called "United Power for Action and
Justice" (with a Chicago phone number) had planned to bring some
100 supporters with residents from the YMCA to voice their
support for the large housing proposal. They arrived with
about a tenth of their goal, and when called on to speak, a
third of those called either passed their chance or were not present.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The gathering was asked if there were any people in attendance that did not believe in affordable housing, there was no response. The debate from those in the neighborhood was generally against having so much in one location, a location
that already has supportive housing in Bon Villa apartment,
the Senior Center, and many rental units with housing vouchers
(400 total in Oak Park) also in the neighborhood. The folks
supporting the massive housing project were not from the immediate area, many not even from town, and there views
had little or no mention of size. Most of those supporting the
idea of the project did so with moral explanations about serving those in need-which had nothing to do with size. Some churchs
that came to voice their support were not from the immediate
area and did not even partake in the PADS (Public Action to
Deliver Shelter)program--such as Unity Church in Oak Park.
The Room filled quickly, but others arrived a half an hor late and had to stand in the rear.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Mr. Galaas from the YMCA responded to a question from the
audience as to why the YMCA was not going to have any SRO
(Single Room Occupancy) in Forest Park. Mr. Galaas noted that
since 1960 the YMCA at the national level had changed its focus from having SRO's to being more friendly toward and giving
their attention to families at large. It was found ironic by many
that if the YMCA found SRO's and families not compatible
that the YMCA would want to build a huge SRO unit in a
local neighborhood having many families.
Mr. Mark Lender speaks on homelessness,
Oak Park's efforts, and the studies hits and misses.
0
Mr. John Dolton speaks for neighbors
adjacent to the proposed project.0
Mr. Brian Lance offers a neighbors view
and the governments.0
Ms. Kier a 40 plus year neighbor and a
woman with 30 years in working with the homeless expresses her experiences.
The Palatial settings of the meeting room added some irony to the discussion of those in need.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
The YMCA has had trouble with their own SRO residents,
some who were convicted child molesters, and other people
who came from jails and had no where else to go. The
YMCA has also lost a large number of the same people who
help support the disadvantaged youth, but ignoring their
concerns for use of the pool and other YMCA facilities. In
the past number of years people with 20-40 years history of memberships have left for Gottlieb, Loyola, and now the
new FFC club in Oak Park. The YMCA has been discussing
their movie to Forest Park for some 3.5 years. There is a new
board in Forest Park and many are not happy with the YMCA's
failure to negotiate and the YMCA has just recently began to
look for financial sources. The YMCA would be shooting itself
in the foot if they left Oak Park with all of the income that
comes from local memberships and even if things go well for
them it will be a number of years before anything happens.
Neighbors from the area proposed to be developed came early, had their
presentations ready, and signed up to speak.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Residents asked how the impact of the proposal would be
on the neighbors in terms of increased crime. No one had
thought about that aspect or addressed it as a concern. It
should be clear that with the PADS work in Oak Park and
increase in Police calls based on that program over the years
that crime will increase with a supportive housing unit.
A police spokesperson responds to a question of increased
crime potential with drug rehab tenants, recovering alcoholic residents, and others with criminal records, being some of
the inhabitants of the affordable housing unit.
Oak Park Police Cmdr, Phillis Howard
attempts to answer security concerns from residents and a Board Member.
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Brought in Chicago Residents to
Lobby for more Oak Park tax money to be used in Oak Park for the disadvantaged.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
One woman who lives in north Oak Park said that she lives near
a residence home for retarded adults and that they were no trouble to the neighborhood. See said that she found the increase in traffic quite disturbing and at least the people in
the supportive living environment did not all have cars to contribute to the congestion.
Another woman had come in from Chicago. She had been in
supportive housing for years with her four children and was
still fighting to stay off alcohol. She wanted more affordable
housing in Oak Park.
Some of the folks from outside of Oak Park were calling our citizens NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard).
Mrs. Smith speaks for neighbors and
defends the neighborhood's efforts to help all the needy.
Smaller sight or mixed used structures were not given much attention at the meeting. It was also noted that Oak Park
could call for new designs to include some affordable housing
like they call for parking spaces for all new projects. Many
from the neighborhood felt that if the meeting were in the neighborhood even more residents would have come to the
meeting.
Ms. Janet Hasz Addresses Supportive
Housing issues.0
Mr. Mark Lender speaks on homelessness,
Oak Park's efforts, and the studies hits and misses.
0
Mr. John Dolton speaks for neighbors
adjacent to the proposed project.0
Mr. Brian Lance offers a neighbors view
and the governments.0
Ms. Kier a 40 plus year neighbor and a
woman with 30 years in working with the homeless expresses her experiences.
0
Oak Park Police Cmdr, Phillis Howard
attempts to answer security concerns from residents and a Board Member.
0
Mrs. Smith speaks for neighbors and
defends the neighborhood's efforts to help all the needy.
0
Meeting Planned For Controversial Building
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
19th Century Club, First Floor
178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park
The West Cook Supportive Housing Initiative
Feasibility Study Sponsors
Will Host a Public Meeting!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
At the 19th Century Club
First Floor
178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park
Anyone interested in the results of the study to determine
the feasibility of including “Affordable Housing” on the
YMCA-owned properties in Oak Park is welcome.
The “sponsors of the study:
Catholic Charities
Oak Park Residence Corp.
Oak Park Township
Village of Oak Park
West Cook YMCA
will have representatives to answer questions.
The complete study is available at the following websites and
may be downloaded:
www.catholiccharities.net
www.oakparkrc.com
www.oakparktownship.org
www.oak-park.us
www.opymca.org
You may email your questions in advance to
westcooksupportivehousing@hotmail.com
NOTICE OF SHOOTING
HOME AVENUE I WASHINGTON BLVD.
ONE BLOCK FROM BROOKS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Thankfully, the Oak Park Police Department notified near-by residents of the drug and weapons related shooting and arrest of a man living at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Home Avenue, one block from Brooks Middle School.
The suspect was wounded by police mid-block on the 300 block of South Home Avenue around 12:15 PM, Thursday, September 20, 2007. The corner of Washington and Home has had other serious incidents recently, including the savage murder of Catherine L. MacAvinchey
by Rodney Adkins (September 2003), as he was burglarizing her home in search of money to buy drugs. It is also where rape suspect Fabian Patillo was killed after fleeing the alleged rape of two River Forest women through the YMCA's "donut" parking lot in Oak Park (June 2006).
Per the Chicago Tribune, September 21, 2007, the shooting death last week of a 22-year-old Chicago man marked the fifth homicide in the village in the last five years and the sixth in the last decade, according to state police crime figures. "The crime is migrating from the West Side," said resident Mike Vassolo, 37, who was near the scene of Thursday's shooting. According to the Wednesday Journal, West Side Gang Tensions May Link OP Death, an ongoing struggle between rival gangs in Chicago's Austin neighborhood may be at the root of last week's middle of the night murder of Clarence Haven Fambro, Jr., 23, on Division Street in Oak Park.
There are clear and positive correlations between crime and density. This neighborhood is one of the most dense in Oak Park. Changes to the traffic patterns after the addition of the Washington and Home Avenue traffic light increased traffic over 30% in the month following its implementation. Sue McMahon was killed by a speeding car while getting groceries out of her car on Wisconsin Avenue this past Sunday.
Now the West Cook YMCA is contemplating sale of its property, including the "donut" lot for construction of one of the largest supportive housing developments in the US, directly behind the residences along Home Avenue, Washington Blvd, Wisconsin Avenue and Randolph Street, or at the YMCA main building facility. These properties are located one and two blocks West of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.
The proposal, by the West Cook County Supportive Housing Initiative is for construction of up to 127 units of permanent supportive housing with supportive services. The facility would serve communities beyond Oak Park since members of West Cook County Supportive Housing Initiative serve 20 western Cook County communities.
Neighborhood residents are being asked by the YMCA for comment at a public meeting to be held this coming Wednesday evening, as follows:
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
19th Century Club, First Floor
178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park
The YMCA site locations, particularly the "donut" lot are not appropriate for such a large and intense "social experiment" (Wednesday Journal).
LAST CHANCE!! NOTICE OF BROOKS MIDDLE SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
At the 19th Century Women's Club,
First Floor
178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park
The West Cook YMCA owns property one block west of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School' and has announced a meeting to discuss a large development concept created by the West Cook County Supportive Housing Initiative and being actively pursued by local and national affordable housing advocates. Since many of your children walk or ride bikes to and from school alone and the YMCA property is located one block from Brooks, this is an important meeting for residents and the parents of current and future children attending Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.
What is it? The meeting is for parent and neighbor input on a Feasibility Study of an apartment project that, according to its author could take several forms, including up to 127 units of rental housing ranging from 100% "affordable" to 100% "permanent supportive housing" with "supportive services." What. it does NOT do is "preserve the YMCA SROs." Most YMCA residents will NOT be eligible. Since the loosely worded feasibility report lacks definitions
of the proposed use, we have located the following definitions to assist understanding:
Affordability: The generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing. Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care. (www.hud.gov)
Supportive Housing. The Supportive Housing Program is authorized by Title IV, Subtitle C, of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as amended. It is designed to promote, as part of a local Continuum-of-Care strategy, the development of supportive housing and supportive services to assistJiome1esspëi~ons in the transition from homelessness and to enable them to live as independently as possible (www.hud.gov)
Permanent supportive housing for homeless persons with disabilities
is another type of supportive housing. Basically, it is long-term community-based housing and supportive services for homeless persons with disabilities. (www.hud.gov)
Permanent supportive housing can also take the form provided through Section 811 of the National Affordable Housing Act. That is a federal law which establishes a program of supportive housing for very low-income persons with disabilities. To be eligible for admission, you must be a "very low-income" family. A family is "very low-income"
if the income does not exceed 50 % of median family income for the area. In addition, you have to be a "person with disabilities." (www.hud.gov)
Supportive Services. According to the Supportive Housing Providers Association (Illinois, Snapshot of Permanent Supportive Housing in Illinois) in Illinois, supportive housing residents face a multitude of challenges and come from various backgrounds. Issues in addition to homelessness being faced by supportive housing residents are highlighted in Table I (Supportive Housing Providers Association), below:
People with mental illness 34%
People with drug related problems/issues 21%
People with alcohol related problems/issues 18%
Formerly incarcerated 16%
Physically disabled 11%
Developmentally disabled 8%
Veterans 7%
People with chronic physical health issues 6%
Victims of domestic violence 3%
It is proposed for the Y site or the "doughnut" parking lot behind the houses, condos and apartment buildings on the block bounded by Home, Washington, Wisconsin and Randolph.
Funding. Three types of funding for permanent supportive housing in Illinois are necessary to develop and operate supportive housing:
(1) capital (for acquisition and construction),
(2) operating support and
(3) funding for supportive services.
Acquiring adequate and timely funding for supportive services continues to be a challenge for providers in Illinois. (Supportive Housing Providers Association)
Size. According to HUD statistics, reviewed with a nationally recognized authority of affordable housing issues, few supportive housing projects in the country are over 100 units and most are 9 units or less. The Feasibility Study focuses on 99 and 127 units.
Why Should You Care? We feel strongly that affordable housing and permanent supportive housing are a necessary part of local continuum of care. The West Cook County Supportive Housing Initiative who prepared the Feasibility~ Study ignores local needs, instead focuses
on embracing the needs of the region. Oak Park needs a community-wide comprehensive policy, not a project-based solution to meet the needs of West Cook County communities. Oak Park needs
to update its policies to maintain a balance of market and affordable housing throughout the community and not just concentrate low-income housing in certain neighborhoods. There are also many concerns with the Feasibility Study, the aggressive assumptions underlying it, in addition to its focus on a project-based solution. Support for this concept ignores discussion of many important issues, including:
•
Loss of parking and impact on traffic and traffic safety;
• Increased density and effect on crime and lack of natural surveillance;
• Effect on Oak Park taxes if the funding does not turn out to be sufficient in the long term;
• Concentration of one type of housing in one area and other issues of local housing policy;
• Local housing affordability and the need to reduce local property taxes;
• Compatibility with Village comprehensive planning efforts;
• Land use, zoning and neighborhood compatibility and adverse impacts; and
• Financial impact on Village and school district services.
• Increased density and effect on crime and lack of natural surveillance;
• Effect on Oak Park taxes if the funding does not turn out to be sufficient in the long term;
• Concentration of one type of housing in one area and other issues of local housing policy;
• Local housing affordability and the need to reduce local property taxes;
• Compatibility with Village comprehensive planning efforts;
• Land use, zoning and neighborhood compatibility and adverse impacts; and
• Financial impact on Village and school district services.
The YMCA and West Cook County Supportive Housing Initiative members have proactively avoided neighborhood input. The 26th is the first and last opportunity for neighborhood residents and Brooks parents.
The meeting on September 26th is intended as a neighborhood discussion and the study's author, Mr. Pusitari, as well as representatives of the five groups that funded the study will be available to answer questions you may have. Advocates for the project-based Feasibility Study are planning a large turnout to promote the concept. But, this may afford an opportunity to engage everyone
in a meaningful dialogue, something sorely missing to date.
We all share the goals of maintaining and expanding affordable housing as well as developing effective local continuum of care alternatives. Most of us chose to live in Oak Park primarily because we care about racial and economic diversity, and we should work toward a community-based solution that meets these goals. What is being overlooked is that the Brooks neighborhood is one of the most diverse in Oak Park having the highest concentration of households in the Village earning less than $30,000 per year. Nearly 20% of all Oak Park households receiving public assistance live in this neighborhood. Thus, this neighborhood already serves more households needing affordable housing than any other neighborhood within Oak Park.
We also have one of the most affordable neighborhoods in Oak Park. According to the Affordable Housing Committee of Oak Park (July 2003), 41% of homebuyers in the neighborhood are low and moderate wage earners- second best in Oak Park. As well, if someone wants to rent to live in Oak Park, we have the highest concentration and most affordable rental stock available of any neighborhood in Oak Park. This neighborhood should be protected and not exploited by a project-based solution disguised as a "preservation" effort. Double digit annual increases in real estate taxes are driving UP property values at a record pace. Sensitive solutions to lower taxes and diversity in housing are complex community solutions, not project-based, regional experiments.
Please join us at the meeting to demonstrate your commitment to our community!
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
published by Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.