Preservation Initiative Launches in Lake County

A new preservation initiative in Lake County, modeled on The Preservation Compact, launched at the beginning of February.

Lisa Tapper, Executive Director of the Lake County Affordable Housing Commission and Adam Gross, Director of Affordable Housing Programs at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), co-chaired the launch meeting, which inaugurated the new Lake County Preservation Initiative (LCPI) and its 30-member Steering Committee comprised of public, private and nonprofit leaders.

“We used the data-driven foundation of The Preservation Compact and its collaborative partnership structure as models to address our own complex, multi-faceted affordability issues,” noted Lisa Tapper. “The very premise of preservation versus development was an inspiration – and it remains relevant in any market.”

Based on data from MCIC, LCPI plans to develop a two-tiered strategy for both affordable homeownership and rental expansion and preservation to address the county’s 80,000 unit affordability gap. Lake County offers its 700,000 residents a broad spectrum on housing, ranging from highly developed urban centers to stretches of bucolic rural land. A comprehensive housing plan must meet both the needs of these residents and people seeking housing near employers such as Abbott Inc, Hewitt Inc, Baxter International and Motorola, which provide a combined 30,000 jobs to the county.

“Housing, employment and transportation are all cogs in the wheel of economic development, but the growing disconnect between affordable housing and employment centers is a disadvantage to Lake County employers and exacerbates traffic congestion,” commented Steering Committee member Anne Flanigan Bassi. As an affordable housing champion on the Lake County Board, Bassi understands the relationship between comprehensive housing policy and economic development. “The Lake County Preservation Initiative is about preserving the fabric of our communities and positioning our county for comprehensive community investment.”

Going forward, LCPI will focus on mobilizing a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify properties in danger of being lost from the affordable housing stock and take steps to insure they remain affordable and in good condition.