The Village's Proposed Housing Plan
No effort underway in the Village of Lincoln Heights is as important as improving housing. In 2020, just 23% of all Lincoln Heights housing was owner-occupied; most of Lincoln Heights' housing stock was built in the 1970s.
To guide the Village’s efforts to improve housing, Council is reviewing a new Housing Action Plan. This plan is designed to support housing stability for residents, expand homeownership opportunities and prioritize redevelopment of the new “Main and Main.”
To support housing stability for current residents, the plan calls for a home repair program using a mix of private and public funding. This program will focus on code and safety improvements, interior modernization, and upgrades, including kitchens and baths. Code enforcement would become more consistent, which would hold commercial owners of residential properties accountable for poor conditions. Legal resources would also be available to help residents with tangled title issues.
Encouraging single-family construction is the key recommendation for expanding homeownership opportunities. Consistent with the Land Use Plan, the initial focus area will be in the Congress and Terry areas. Home sale prices will be targeted in the $275,000 - $350,000 range, making them affordable to households making between $60,000 and $100,000.
And, finally, the plan calls for supporting the “Main and Main” strategy outlined in the Land Use Plan. The Main and Main strategy is centered on the two largest redevelopment sites in the Village – the Lindy Avenue and Magee Street intersection. Supporting Main and Main with a housing component would create a focal point for the community and an opportunity for a new type of mixed-use housing.
We will keep you informed about the progress of the housing plan as Council continues this important work.