Founded in the 1870s, Mount Prospect, Illinois, was formally incorporated as a village in 1917, with a population of 100. In its early days, the principal economic activity revolved around farming onions, beets, and mushrooms.
Today, its close proximity to the greater Chicago area, O'Hare International Airport, major highway systems, and the Chicago Northwestern Commuter Rail System, makes Mount Prospect primarily a commuter town. It also has a sound business environment.
This Consolidated Plan contains the Village of Mount Prospect's housing affordability plan for the next five years and application for Community Development Block Grant funding for the 1995 fiscal year. It is intended to provide a strategy for furthering the village's efforts to provide lower-income residents with affordable housing options. Included in the plan is shared housing for the elderly, rental assistance, help for first time homebuyers, and group housing for mentally ill or developmentally disabled.
Through the Mount Prospect Journal, the village invited all residents to participate in the development of the Consolidated Plan. The Mount Prospect Plan Commission received public comments at hearings in July and December 1994. The village provided a published summary of the proposed plan at the Mount Prospect Public Library, Mount Prospect Senior Center, and the Mount Prospect Village Hall and sponsored a third hearing in January 1995 to receive public comments on the final Consolidated Plan.
The 1990 census counted the village's population at 53,170, a one percent increase from 1980. Much of the village's population and economic growth occurred between 1950 and 1980, when the number of residents grew from 4,009 to 52,634.
The past decade has changed Mount Prospect's racial and ethnic makeup. Asian and Pacific Islanders increased from 1,490 in 1980, to 3,417 in 1990. The number of Hispanics has increased from 1,225 in 1980 to 3,411 in 1990. The African American population almost doubled, from 331 to 606.
By 1990 Mount Prospect had 1,233 low-income (annual incomes less than $30,450) and 2,075 very low-income (annual income of $19,050) renters. The 1990 census indicates that 4,809 are moderate-income (annual incomes up to $32,950) homeowners.
The most prevalent housing need in Mount Prospect is for new elderly housing with rental subsidies. The Area Agency on Aging and the Resource Center for the Elderly confirmed that the village needs senior shared housing and rental assistance programs for very low-income seniors.
Within the decade of the 1980s, Mount Prospect's housing (mostly owner-occupied) units increased by 1,436 to a total of 20,249 in 1990. The number of owner-occupied units rose from 12,706 in 1980 to 14,009 in 1990. Rental units increased by 209 for a total of 6,272 in 1990. The 1990 census reported that the vacancy rate for owner-occupied units was 0.8 percent and for rental units 5.8 percent.
The cost of owning a single-family detached home in Mount Prospect poses a major problem for low- and very low-income households. With little land available to build on within the corporate limits and a low vacancy rate, it appears unlikely that housing prices will drop.
Condominium and townhouse ownership seems more likely to be within the reach of low- and very low-income households. The village estimates that the cost of a small number of such units may start as low as $50,000, with more costing between $80,000 and $100,000.
Mount Prospect does not have any permanent housing or shelters for homeless people. The problem has yet to reach serious proportions in Mount Prospect--the 1990 census reported the number of homeless at 13. The village is meeting homeless needs through various agency programs. The Mount Prospect Human Services Department assists these residents with housing counseling, emergency financial assistance, a food pantry, and information on other resources.
Area agencies are concerned about being able to serve the homeless, however, because the number is increasing and the agencies recognize a need to increase facilities and services. For example, the Village Human Services Department (VHSD) estimates that about 500 people are near homeless in Mount Prospect. This number is based on the 1994 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) estimate of people with incomes 30 percent of the median family income. It assumes 30 percent of these households are in danger of becoming homeless.
Mount Prospect does not have any public housing projects that can be assisted under the Comprehensive Grants Program. However, there are a number of federally assisted rental programs. Sixty-seven families and 25 elderly, disabled, or handicapped residents benefit from the Cook County Housing Authority's Section 8 existing housing assistance payments program. Together, two apartment complexes--Centennial Apartments and Huntington Towers--provide 412 units of senior subsidized housing. Both are full and have waiting periods of two to five years. The Alliance for the Mentally Ill reported that Mount Prospect needs a group home to provide housing and services to an estimated 265 individuals.
Because of its close proximity to Chicago, Mount Prospect's most prevalent barrier is the high cost of housing itself. Village staff do not believe development requirements pose major impediments to achieving affordable housing.
Even so, Mount Prospect is actively involved in finding ways to address the housing affordability issue. For example, the village has amended its zoning ordinance to permit households of up to eight people with developmental disabilities, along with paid staff, to occupy a single dwelling unit.
The village is also in the process of updating the zoning and development ordinances to create a new downtown zoning ordinance that will permit mixed uses. The village will work to ensure that the zoning ordinance does not promote concentrations of low-income households but does affirmatively address housing affordability and health and safety issues.
Thus far, the village has not received any formal fair housing complaints. The major obstacle in fair housing choice is the cost of housing. The potential exists, of course, for illegal discriminatory practices. To protect its citizens from such practices, the village adopted a Fair Housing Ordinance that identifies illegal activities, and provides a means of redress.
Since most of Mount Prospect's homes were built before 1978 (the year lead-based paint was banned from homes), approximately 19,500 dwellings could contain lead-based paint. Of these homes, perhaps 2,145 (11 percent) are occupied by very low-income residents and 2,535 (13 percent) by low-income residents. There have been no reported cases of lead poisoning, however.
During the coming year, the village will continue to require all loose paint to be removed and either covered or repainted under its housing rehabilitation loan programs. The village will provide public information and education on the hazards of lead-based paint and measures people can take to reduce risk and protect health.
Through its public hearing process, the village identified several nonhousing development needs or gaps. They include primary health care service, neighborhood recreational opportunities, after school and summer learning and recreational activities, a senior shared housing program, street improvements, additional park land, and park land development.
Mount Prospect has identified six priority needs it will address in the next 5 years based on the data and needs prepared for the Consolidated Plan. They include the following:
Priority 1: Provide new construction housing for elderly low- and very low-income residents. Within 5 years the village hopes to identify a site for 75 units of new Section 202 or similar program units with a Section 8 set-aside.
Priority 2: Address the special needs of elderly low- and very low-income residents in various housing settings. The village plans to create 10 shared senior housing units, and rehabilitate 25 senior and other homes.
Priority 3: Provide housing opportunities for first-time low-income homebuyers. In the next 5 years, the village plans to assist 25 households become first-time homebuyers.
Priority 4: Promote the responsible use of the rental assistance program to residents throughout the village. Mount Prospect will work closely with the Housing Authority of Cook County in managing tenant-based voucher and certificate programs for low- and very low-income renters.
Priority 5: Provide financial assistance for purchasing or rehabilitating housing for people who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled. This can be accomplished in part by assisting the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill or similar organizations in purchasing or rehabilitating a residential home to use as a community residence for the mentally ill or developmentally disabled.
Priority 6: Assist qualified agencies to provide transitional housing that will emphasize providing self-sufficiency skills. The village can assist qualified agencies applying for financing and obtain other assistance to help open transitional housing units in Mount Prospect.
Mount Prospect's anti-poverty strategy focuses on the decentralization of low-income households, the provision of services, and the continuation of a strong local economy. Last year, the village created an Economic Development Commission that is organizing its strategy for promoting local economic growth.Staff who developed the Consolidated Plan believe that the plan's identified housing and service programs will reduce the number of households living below the poverty line by as many as 20 households.
The village has access to CDBG funds for housing rehabilitation programs to benefit low-, very low-, and moderate-income residents. It may use Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds to develop a first-time buyer's assistance program. It will continue to use the Section 8 existing housing assistance payments program for eligible residents to lower the cost of rental housing.
The village may solicit local lenders to participate in a first-time homebuyer's program and a housing rehabilitation program. Nonprofit organizations may match their own funds with other funds to provide gap financing.
The village of Mount Prospect designates itself as the lead agency of this Consolidated Plan. During the process of preparing this report, the Mount Prospect staff contacted the organizations interested in affordable housing issues and asked them to participate in preparing the Consolidated Plan. The staff also discussed with other local governments a number of affordable housing issues and will continue to have a dialog with them on such issues. Mount Prospect will perform semi-annual reviews of all CDBG subrecipients.
To address the priorities expressed in the strategy, Mount Pleasant will use CDBG, Section 8, and HOME funds for the following projects in 1995:
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income
areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level
vantage point; as well as, provides a table with information about the project(s).
Michael Sims, Planner
To comment on Mount Prospect's Consolidated Plan, please contact:
Village of Mt. Prospect
100 South Emerson Street
Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056
Phone # 708-392-6000
Fax # 708-392-6022
