Affordable Housing & COVID-19 Update

September 20, 2021

Topics:● Transitioning from crisis to recovery● Eviction / Foreclosure threats & responses● New Committees for new challenges● Q1-3 Affordable housing accomplishments● Approval of 2021 ESG Funding Allocations● McGaw YMCA Residence Rehabilitation Plan ● MTO/LCBH Landlord Tenant Services report

From immediate response to long-term planning

● Priorities in early stages of COVID: protecting health and lives with emergency non-congregate shelters and rent subsidies for permanent housing.

● New priority: looming threat of evictions and foreclosures.

● Continuing efforts and actions to address the broad range of housing needs, including new conditions.

COVID is an accelerant to existing challenges, whose long-term effects are not fully known.

2021 CARES Act Funded Programs

CDBG-CV:● $500,000 to Connections for Rent & Mortgage assistance ● $150,000 to Curt’s Cafe for Pop-up Food Pantry ● $200,000 for City’s Summer Youth Violence Prevention Program ● $50,000 for small business grants ● $115,000 to Childcare Network of Evanston for childcare scholarships

ESG-CV:● $150,000 to Connections for Case Management for RRH households ● $25,000 to Alliance to End Homelessness for Homeless Management

Information System

Shelter, Housing, and Support Services - FY21

Shelter, Housing, and Support Services FY21

Shelter, Housing, and Support Services - FY21

Renter Eviction Threat

Moratoriums: State moratorium extended through 10/03/21:● Only prevents the execution of eviction order against covered persons (with

declarations of COVID impact)

● US Supreme Court ruling on CDC moratorium does not impact IL due to State

moratorium in place

Eviction backlog: 33,500 estimated for Chicago (up from 20,000 in early 2021)Eviction and lease issues still the top reasons for calls to MTO Hotline

Illegal lockouts: increased because of the moratorium

Access to rent assistance crucial

Homeowner Foreclosure Threat

● Maximum (18 months) mortgage forbearance ending for earliest 2020 applicants. Payment plans add additional monthly costs, or mortgage term is extended

● Foreclosures rates, nationwide, at all time low for Jan-June 2021: -62% to 2020 and -78% to 2019.

● Illinois = 2nd highest foreclosure rate in the country for Jan-Jun 2021.

Rent & Mortgage Assistance - IL & Cook County

● Emergency Rent Assistance: 877-426-6515 or prevention@connect2home.org○ Cook County’s ERA1 opened in May and extended into June; ERA2 (ARPA) opens in the Fall

○ IHDA’s ERA1 opened in Spring; ERA2 (ARPA) will open in the Fall

○ IDHS funding currently available through the Suburban Cook County Entry Point

● Mortgage assistance:IHDA to launch a mortgage assistance program in the Fall/Winter (up to $25,000)

● Cook County Legal Aid services are available.

ERA1 funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, Dec. 2020; ERA2 funded by American Rescue Program Act, March 2021

Cook County’s Early Resolution Program (ERP)● Direct access to legal aid attorneys from court Zoom to ERP break-out

rooms● Services for unrepresented tenants and landlords● Mediation services also available● Court-based rent assistance to be added at the end of September● Substantial changes to running the eviction docket:

○ First date is an initial case management meeting, not a trial date○ Eviction cases routinely continued for 14 days so unrepresented

litigants can confer with an attorney● Operates in all six municipal districts remotely

Eviction record sealing: Two Changes to IL Law in PA 102-005

● COVID era records are presumptively sealed and only unsealed if the court so orders at the end of the case.

● While this is good for tenant records, it has also caused problems with the administration of court records.

● The standard for sealing old eviction records has been relaxed for one year. Legal aid and community groups have been and should escalate working together to inform tenants of this change and help tenants file sealing motions.

● LCBH’s rentervention.com has created a tool for creating sealing motions.

2021 Q1-Q3 Actions

● Affordable/mixed income housing projects● Income restricted units in market rate housing

2021 Affordable Housing Projects● 1011 Howard Street, Ann Rainey Apts (Evergreen)

○ 60-unit senior housing project

○ $2M of AHF and HOME

● 1930 Jackson Avenue (HODC) ○ ADU/coach house, 1 unit at 60% AMI

○ $190K of HOME

● 1900 Sherman Avenue, The Emerson (HACC)○ Adjustment to PD to reduce parking and total units

○ All affordable units (34 ≤50% AMI and 17 at 80% AMI

● Lot 1 South Boulevard RFP

Rendering of the Ann Rainey Apts

Inclusionary Housing Development Update● Developments under construction:

○ 1555 Ridge Ave. : 3 units at 60% AMI, $525K fee in lieu

○ 2211 Maple Ave.: 2 units at 60% AMI

● Developments approved:

○ 718 Main (The Vogue): 12 units at 60% AMI

○ 1101 Church St.: 3 units at 60% AMI

○ 2030 Greenwood St.: 2 units at 60% AMI

● Developments submitted:○ 1012 Chicago Ave. : 10 units at 60% AMI

● Developments in the pipeline

Planning & Development Subcommittee● Members: Councilmembers Kelly (chair), Burns, Reid, and Revelle

● Scope of work:○ Definition of family and method to determine occupancy standards○ Nuisance Premises ordinance to address tenant issues more

effectively○ Residential Landlord Tenant ordinance to align with Cook County’s○ Rental Licensing to more effectively maintain property standards and

ensure decent and safe housing

Committee Updates

● HCDA, HHC and MHB realigned into two new committees:○ Social Services Committee (SSC)○ Housing and Community Development Committee (HCDC)

● Social Services Committee:○ Equitable access to services for underserved residents○ CDBG Public Services, City Human Services, ESG

● Housing and Community Development Committee○ Built environment - housing, community & economic development○ HUD ConPlan, CDBG, HOME and AHF

Topics: ● 2021 Emergency Solutions Grant allocations to agencies

and activities● McGaw YMCA Residence Rehabilitation Plan

presentation● Metropolitan Tenant Services/Lawyers’ Committee for

Better Housing Landlord Tenant Services Program

Approve 2021 Emergency Solutions Grant Allocations

● 2021 grant amount: $156,606 ● Connections for the Homeless

■ Street Outreach $15,661 (10%)■ Shelter Operations $35,897 (23%)■ Prevention $23,491 (15%)■ Rapid Re-housing $54,812 (35%)

● YWCA Evanston-Northshore■ Shelter Operations $15,000 (9.5%)

● City of Evanston $11,745 for Administration (7.5%)

McGaw YMCAResidence Rehabilitation Plan

Metropolitan Tenant Services & Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing

Landlord Tenant Services Program

MTO/LCBH Landlord and Tenant Services● Base Scope of Work: Free advice and guidance for tenants and landlords:

○ Hotline open Monday through Friday from 1-5 pm○ Inquiries through the City’s 311 system○ Calls outside Hotline hours returned within two business days○ Help with writing letters, including templates for common needs○ Strategies on how to resolve issues through negotiations○ Referrals to other sources○ Help maintain current landlord-tenant information on the City’s and MTO’s websites○ At least two two-hour trainings for Evanston tenants and landlords○ At least one two-hour training for landlords and/or property managers with Property Standards

Division’s RENT program

● Additional services:○ Mediation between landlords and tenants○ Tenant organizing for buildings where tenants face common problems○ Legal representation for low-income Evanston tenants

MTO/LCBH Landlord and Tenant Services

● Call volume: MTO answers approximately 10,000 hotline calls in a year; typical Hotline Counselor may answer up to 10 calls per day.

● Case volume: the number of cases handled by MTO staff varies by program area and capacity

● Evanston case volume: averages 35 per month; down slightly from pre-COVID 35 - 40 cases per month

● Main reasons for calls:○ Leases and eviction continue to be the majority (40% of calls)○ Pre-COVID, calls about maintenance were highest, but are down significantly

(-21%)○ Also seeing a decline in questions about security deposits○ Increased calls relating to utilities

MTO Intake and Conflict Resolution Processes

● Initial contact typically through the Hotline or Evanston's 311 system● MTO Counselor conducts an intake assessment and informs tenant of their

rights (what is the problem? what laws apply? What options does the tenant have?)

● Counselors answer tenants’ questions and inform them of any available resources (rental assistance, template letters, legal referrals, etc.)

● Counselors give practical advice about how to best communicate and negotiate with their landlord

● If the tenant needs additional guidance, referred for follow up, such as document review or letter-writing assistance, to appropriate MTO program area (Eviction Prevention, Healthy Homes, Building Organizing)

Legal Resources for Tenants

● MTO helps tenants understand the law and legal process, including where to go on

court date, what to expect/what typically happens; does not provide legal aid directly

● Different response based on case type:○ Not many discrimination cases in Evanston; referred to Northside Community Resources

where an MTO Board member works○ Few lockout cases in Evanston; help renters contact landlord and police to end the lockout.

Get some calls where the landlord is threatening a tenant with eviction; review the relevant laws and assist the tenant with writing a letter informing the landlord of the law. This usually is sufficient; give the tenant a number to call back if the landlord pursues the case.

● MTO leverages its position as an Illinois Access to Justice (A2J) grantee to provide

tenants real-time referrals to legal aid agencies with the capacity to assist them:○ Reduces intake time, keeps tenants from being bounced from one agency to another○ Increases access to legal assistance through Lawyers Committee for Better Housing (LCBH)

and other legal services

Next steps...

Balancing immediate and long-term needsMonitor the evolving nature of the pandemic and recovery and develop creative, flexible responses to changing needs and trends:

● Address long-term 24/7 homeless shelter needs

● Leverage City assets for affordable housing development

● Develop a program to help small, local landlords with rehab and other needs to retain and

improve our NOAH, address health inequities, and improve energy efficiency/resilience

● Continue work on small-lot housing and other ownership initiatives

● Review and update IHO in 2022 based on outcomes and current needs

● Identify additional revenue streams for affordable housing

● Monitor $3.5T Infrastructure Plan under development

● Integrate Housing planning in a new Comprehensive Plan