multifamily building, some communities with suitable sites may have barriers in
place to prevent the development of multifamily housing on sites zoned, planned,
or otherwise well-suited for higher density development.
Are not equally enforced. Independent of the intended users or residents, land
use, zoning laws, and building codes must be applied uniformly.
Contain expensive construction standards. A community may determine that
in order to increase safety, to maintain a certain community aesthetic, or to
enhance durability, residential properties should be built out of materials that may
increase construction and/or maintenance costs significantly; for example, they
may require homes to be built of brick in lieu of siding. Consequently, housing
becomes more expensive, thereby limiting the range of individuals and
households who can afford to build in or relocate to the community.
In its review of the County’s Unified Development Ordinance, (UDO) and building
codes, AREA did not identify impediments to fair housing choice. AREA based this
review on HUD requirements for an AI and is not a full legal zoning review. To
demonstrate this lack of impediment, the County has articulated in Appendix C the
zoning-related options for housing development in unincorporated Lake County.
Recommended Actions for Impediment 4
The County’s jurisdiction is over unincorporated areas. There are some actions the
County can take to address impediments found in land use, zoning laws and building
codes:
Request assistance from Prairie State, the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance
(CAFHA), and CMAP in providing educational seminars. There are a number of
organizations throughout the Chicago metropolitan area that conduct fair housing
training sessions that are designed to reach a variety of audiences, including
government officials.
Develop guidelines for communities to consider. The County, with assistance
from a partner such as the Chicago Civic Consulting Alliance or the Chicago
Metropolitan Agency for Planning, should develop a set of guidelines to help
municipalities determine whether they might be limiting fair housing choice through
their existing land use plans, zoning, and building codes. Specifically in planning for
new developments, such guidelines may consider where expensive constru 7F