Why is Affordable Housing an Issue in Wilmette?
Housing Prices are Rising
- The average sales price of a home in Wilmette as of June 30, 2011 was $771,101 a84% increase since 1994 although a decrease of 2.37% over the previous year. (Chicago, October 2011).
- The median rent in Wilmette was $1,038 in 2000. In order to afford this rent, a household would have to earn at least $19.96 per hour, or $41,520 per year. This calculation assumes the household will spend no more than 30% of their income on rent (the generally accepted standard of affordability). Earning minimum wage ($6.50), a person would have to work 123 hours per week to have an income high enough to afford this rent.
- Between 2000 and 2010, Wilmette’s population decreased 2.04% to 27,087, and the number of households decreased 2.95% (from 10,039 to 9,742).
- In the 2000s, Wilmette has lost 230 owner occupied housing units and 67 rental units in the 2000s. 1% of the total occupied stock is ownership housing.
- The number of housing units with zero or one bedroom grew 30% since 1990.
Seniors are vulnerable
- Households with individuals aged 65 and over grew from one in four in 1990 (2,593 households) to one in three (3,171 households) in 2010, a 25% increase.
- The population aged 75 and older grew from 1,857 in 1990 to 2,294 in 2000, or5%.
- 209 seniors aged 65 and over live in poverty, a 24.4% increase since 1990.
- 730 senior householders, or 25% of Wilmette’s senior-headed households, earn less than $35,000 per year.
- 7% (367) of occupied rental units house persons aged 65 and over.
- 802 senior homeowner households (354 aged 65 to 74 and 109 aged 75 and over) live alone, representing 56% of all 1-person homeowner households.
- 1186 senior renter households live alone, 6% of all 1-person renter households.
- 7% of all senior householders living alone are women.
- 225 senior homeowner and 196 senior renter households paid more than 35% of their incomes in shelter costs in 1999 (considered by HUD to be “burdened”).
Low-income families with children are at risk
- The number of households with individuals aged 18 and under grew 13.6% (495) since 1990, from 37.5% (3,640 households) to 41.2% (4,135 households) in 2000.
- 137 children under age 18 live below the poverty level, a 44% increase since 1989.
- 332 households with children are led by single women, or 3.3% of all Wilmette households. This declined slightly from 345 in 1990. (continued)
- 14 single mothers with children were living below the poverty level in 1999. (No single father lived below poverty).
Persons with disabilities
- 2,613 Wilmette residents aged 5 and over (10%) have a disability.
- 6% of adults with disabilities (aged 21 to 64) are currently employed.
Housing costs burden low-income residents
- 623 Wilmette residents of all ages live below the poverty level. This represents 2.3% of the area’s total population, or an 11% increase since 1989.
- 6% of Wilmette households earn less than $35,000 per year and 21.3% earn less than $50,000.
- 7% of Wilmette homeowners (1,370) and 30.4% of Wilmette renters (398) spend more than 35% of their incomes on shelter. 262 of the 398 renters pay more than 50% of the income on housing.
Diversity is rising
- Asians comprise 8.9% (2,473) of the population. This is a 34% increase since 1990 when 6.9% (1,840) of the population was Asian.
- Latinos comprise 2.1% (574), up 28% from 1990 when 0.6% (449) were Latino.
- African-Americans comprise 0.7% (191), an increase of 47% since 1990.
Employment
- As of 2004 Wilmette had 5,841 unemployment insurance covered jobs, an increase of 18% since 1979 (Illinois Department of Employment Security).
- The 2005 median income for all 329 School District 39 employees, the largest employer, is $50,654.
Affordable housing options
- 1,377 households (14%) earn between $35,000 and $60,000 per year, the target incomes under the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. 5% of housing units (554) are deemed to be affordable by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, using the 2000 Census. (www.ihda.org/admin/Upload/Files/8e3d4770-6932-4503-a3ad-665a0c32edcb.pdf)
- There are 262 deliberately affordable or subsidized rental and condominium units for low-income seniors located within four buildings.
- There is no subsidized housing for families in Wilmette.
- As of March 2005, there were 10 Housing Choice/Section 8 Voucher renter families residing in Wilmette. This is an increase of 500% since February 1998 when only 2 families utilized the voucher. (Cook County Housing Authority)
- Wilmette offers a Housing Assistance Program to senior and disabled residents to help with the costs of rent, mortgages, and property taxes in the annual sum of $2,400. (wilmette.com/comdev/housing.htm)
- Wilmette offers low- and moderate-income residents no-interest loans to update housing code violations on single family homes, townhomes, and 2, 3, and 4-flat buildings. (wilmette.com/comdev/housing.htm )
- Wilmette has an affordable housing plan that involves a voluntary affordable housing set-aside in new multifamily development.