BPI's publications and reports are based on best practices from around the country and are responsive to the unique needs of our local partners.
NEW! View the 2008 Illinois Housing Roundtable Affordable Housing Briefing Book to learn about the 2008 Roundtable legislative agenda and to get facts about the statewide affordable housing crisis.
Some of the following publications and reports are downloadable from this site in PDF format. They require Adobe Acrobat Reader (click to get Reader).
Our key publications fall into the following categories:
- BPI's Affordable Housing Program in Brief
- Inclusionary Housing
- Regulatory Barriers
- What Local Municipalities Can Do
- Local Affordable Housing Needs Assessment Snapshots
- Communications, Messaging and Photos
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM IN BRIEF
BPI's Regional Affordable Housing Initiative in Brief
Opening the Door to Inclusionary Housing: A comprehensive guide for municipal governments and affordable housing advocates to explore the feasibility of an Inclusionary Housing Program in their communities.
Opening the Door to Inclusionary Housing: Condensed Version
Inclusionary Housing: A Policy That Works for the City That Works
Talking About Inclusionary Housing
Voluntary or Mandatory Inclusionary Housing? Production, Predictability, and Enforcement
The Impact of Inclusionary Zoning on Development
Large Cities and Inclusionary Zoning
Issues to Consider When Creating an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
Information on the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act
Fact Sheet on the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act
Frequently Asked Questions about the Affordable Housing
Eliminating Barriers: Letting the Market Help Meet Illinois Housing Needs: This report examines artificial constraints that inhibit production of affordable homes and apartments near jobs in the Chicago region and offers policy approaches to remedy the problem.
WHAT LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES CAN DO
A Community Guide to Creating Affordable Housing
This comprehensive guide explores inclusionary housing tools, community-based strategies, and creative local funding mechanisms for affordable housing. It offers brick-and-mortar examples of how these methods have been used to create affordable housing in Chicago and throughout the country - drawing on the private and non-profit sectors as well as using local, state, and federal resources. With creative thinking and the use of a number of affordable housing tools, municipalities have been able to structure developments that meet their community's unique needs.
Creating Balanced Communities: Lessons in Affordability from Five Affluent Boston Suburbs
The five Boston suburbs of Andover, Bedford, Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington have median home values ranging from nearly $500,000 to $975,000 and median household incomes ranging from $90,000 to $110,000. All have little or no developable land, zoning codes that severely restrict density, and extremely high land costs. Despite such obstacles, these communities have used a variety of innovative tools to create attractive, moderately priced housing for seniors and for the workforce.
Success in Affordable Housing: The Metro Denver Experience
Metro Denver's job boom and subsequent population growth have translated into a critical affordable housing shortage. Sky-rocketing home prices and rents have outpaced area wages and workers are increasingly burdened by rent and mortgage expenses, despite falling unemployment. Now, many communities in the region are shaping policy responses to address the severe affordable housing shortage in Metro Denver. This report highlights affordable housing successes in the cities of Boulder, Denver, Lafayette, and Longmont-four cities that have created significant numbers of affordable homes using inclusionary housing, affordable housing trust funds, and a community land trust.
Affordable Housing Toolkit for the Chicago Region
LOCAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT SNAPSHOTS
Some samples include:
A Snapshot of Affordable Housing Need in Naperville
Evanston Affordable Housing Needs Assessment
COMMUNICATIONS, MESSAGING, AND PHOTOS
Myths and Stereotypes about Affordable Housing
What Does Affordable Housing Look Like?
See photos of affordable housing from around the Chicago region and the country.
