What do fair and affordable housing mean in Aurora
When elected officials in Aurora discuss housing, a lot of terms get thrown around.
Affordable housing, fair housing and Jericho Circle are chief among them.
Aldermen will vote Tuesday, Sept. 27 on whether to spend $42,318 on a study of affordable housing that city staff and Mayor Tom Weisner say will shed light on the meaning of those terms.
The study would explain what fair housing and affordable housing mean in Aurora, where the Aurora Housing Authority’s possible plans for redevelopment of public housing at Jericho Circle, a West side project slated for demolition, have sparked debate.
“The idea here is to bring clarity to a lot of those issues, a lot of those terms, so we all know what we’re dealing with,” Weisner said.
The study would include a needs assessment of affordable housing, a list of possible sites where affordable housing could be redeveloped and a review of best management practices for such development.
“It’s going to look at the broader affordable housing need in the city,” said Carie Anne Ergo, the city’s chief management officer.
Community Planning and Development Advisors LLC, of Waukesha, Wis., would conduct the study, beginning by compiling and building upon existing studies of housing in Aurora. If approved, the study is expected to be completed by January.
Alderman Rick Lawrence, whose ward includes the Jericho Circle site, said a phrase in the possible contract raised concerns that the city believes it needs to provide more affordable housing.
The contract says Community Planning and Development Advisors would make sure to include Aurora Housing Authority staff and board members in discussions “recognizing the importance of promoting progress in redeveloping and replacing the housing that was once the Jericho Circle housing project.”
Lawrence said that indicates the city believes the site should be redeveloped. But he added the city already has plenty of “cheap” housing options without redevelopment.
“I don’t like the premise that we think we need to expand cheap housing in Aurora,” Lawrence said.
Ergo said the key word in the phrase is “progress,” meaning the city hopes the study will help move forward discussions about whether the city needs more public housing.