$1.3 Million Available In Affordable Housing Trust Funds: Village Of Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — The Village of Arlington Heights began accepting applications for its Affordable Housing Trust Fund on April 1.

Guidelines were adopted by the village board in January, setting the deadline to apply to June 30, The fund was created by the village in 2013.

According to the village, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund was established to address attainable housing needs in Arlington Heights and to help preserve and produce dedicated attainable housing. The fund is primarily supported through linkage fees and fees-in-lieu paid instead of providing affordable housing units under the village’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. As of Dec. 31, 2025, the fund balance was approximately $1.3 million, according to the village.

Under the application process, public, private and non-profit entities may request access to the fund for projects that further the village's attainable housing goals. Officials said applications will first receive a preliminary review by village staff. Applications that comply with the requirements of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Ordinance and Guidelines will then be forwarded to the village’s Housing Commission for consideration.

The Housing Commission will evaluate eligible applications and make recommendations to the Village Board on whether a project should be funded from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, according to the village. All projects must be located in Arlington Heights and meet the criteria in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Guidelines. The village said late submissions and applications for projects that do not meet those criteria will not be considered.

Village staff is available to discuss potential project ideas with applicants and answer questions about the process, according to the announcement. Additional information is available through village materials, and questions may be directed to the Department of Planning & Community Development.

Applicants can contact the department by emailing planningmail@vah.com or calling 847-368-5200. The current application cycle runs through June 30. After staff review, qualifying proposals will move to the Housing Commission for evaluation and recommendation to the Village Board under the process outlined in the January 2026 guidelines.