Officials Respond to Residents' Concerns about Affordable Housing Slotted for Tinley Park

The Village of Tinley Park has received many questions related to the Reserve, a proposed 47-unit multifamily residential building at the northeast corner of 183rd Street and Oak Park Avenue. In response, the Village has issued the following list of frequently asked questions about the development.

The developer has ” expressed a desire to house veterans, new school teachers, new police officers, and Tinley Park residents who may meet the income requirements,” according to a statement issued by the developer, to Village officials. “They very much wish to be an asset to our community.”

1. What is the Reserve?

The Reserve is a 47-unit multifamily residential development proposed to be located at the northeast corner of 183rd Street and Oak Park Avenue, adjacent to the Eagle’s Nest.

2. Who is the developer of the Reserve?

The developer is Buckeye Hope Community Foundation (www.buckeyehope.org), a nonprofit community housing developer based in Ohio that has experience in developing residential housing.

3. Is this a “public housing project?”

No. This development is not owned or administered by a government agency. The development is designed to provide options for working individuals and families who meet strict criteria but who are generally priced out of the local housing market. It is especially helpful to young workers, seniors and families who want to put down roots in or remain in a community like Tinley Park. The Reserve is more comparable to existing Village residential developments like Brementowne Manor, which offers subsidized housing to senior citizens.

4. Has the developer been given any variations or exceptions from Village codes or ordinances?

The development as proposed meets and exceeds Village codes and ordinances, including the high standards for building materials, life safety and landscaping. No exceptions have been requested or provided.

5. Has the development received any incentives from the Village?

No. The developer has not asked for or received any incentives from the Village of Tinley Park. No Village funds will be provided and the development will pay property taxes, building permit fees and impact fees.

6. When was this development proposed to the Village?

After some consultations with the Village to review applicable codes and ordinances the developer formally submitted design and engineering plans in October 2015.

Additionally, the Reserve development had a long application process with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA) to obtain tax credit. The Village was in communication with the developer during these early stages to review conceptual plans. The Village issued a preliminary zoning compliance letter and a letter indicating compliance to the Village Master Plan.

All reviewing departments (Building, Public Works, Police, Fire, Engineering and Planning) completed their code reviews in December 2015, and Planning Department staff prepared a staff report for Plan Commission review in mid-January 2016.

7. What is the approval process for the Reserve development?

Since the property is already zoned for multi-family residential use, the development does not require any approval by the Village Board. However, the Reserve does require that the Village Plan Commission determine that the plan complies with relevant Village standards.

The Village’s review of the development indicates that the plans meet or exceed Village requirements for size, appearance, traffic management, safety, landscaping and compatibility with the long-range plans for land use.

It is likely the Plan Commission will vote on the site plan approval for the development at its regular meeting on Feb. 4, 2016.

8. What will the building look like?

• The exterior will feature face brick, smooth faced stone and Hardie board (a cementitious siding product) in quantities that meet the Legacy Code building material standards.
• The site will include bike parking, interior to the building and within the site; a small retention pond area; landscaped open space; and a small “tot lot.”
• The site is well-landscaped and exceeds Village landscape requirements.
• The developer will fully sprinkle the building and meet the International Building Codes and the Tinley Park Building Code.
• Required parking for residents (one space per unit) will be located at the rear of the building, underneath the second story of the building, and meets the Legacy Code requirements. Required guest parking is provided at the rear of the building in a parking lot.

9. Will this development be regularly inspected?

Yes. As with all of the single-family and multiple-family rental products within the community, this development will be included in the Tinley Park Crime Free Rental Housing Program. The program is designed to combat and eradicate criminal activity in rental properties. It monitors tenant conduct and, if necessary, provides a mechanism to remove those problem tenants from their leased properties.

In addition, the Village Board is studying the possibility of a regular rental inspection program.

10. How is this development funded?

Tax credit financing means the development was granted a “federal income tax credit” by the State of Illinois that can be sold at market to offset federal income tax liabilities. The proceeds from the sale of tax credits are used as equity by the developer.

The developer sells its Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) on the open market. That revenue allows the developer to build a higher-quality community while keeping rental prices affordable.

The Village was not part of the developer’s application to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA). The developer received approval for a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) through IDHA in fall of 2015.

The below chart, provided by the developer, indicates the required household income limits for this development (based upon 2014 numbers).

Proposed Rents

11. What is the market for affordable housing?

The Reserve is designed to appeal to working individuals and families who must meet stringent requirements for credit-worthiness, and will be subject to a rigorous background check.

12. What is the tenant selection process?

Should the project be approved, community organizations such as the Ministerial Association would help to identify Tinley Park residents who would quality for the program.

The standards from the developer’s Tenant Selection Plan include:

All applicants for housing will be screened according to the criteria set forth in the Admission Standards. These criteria are:

• Past performance in meeting financial obligations, especially rent
• Absence of bad record of residency such as destruction of property, disturbance to neighbors
• No evidence of poor housekeeping habits
• No involvement in criminal activities, including but not limited to felonies, in the past 60 months
• No record of evictions or terminations from housing programs and private landlords
• Applicant’s ability and willingness to comply with the lease
• No misrepresentation of any information related to eligibility, income, household composition, previous landlords etc.
• Applicants must be of legal age to enter a lease. Criminal history reports will be investigated for each applicant household member age 18 or older. Screening for criminal offenses will be subject to denial if they are related to sexual offences, drugs and violence. Standards prohibit admission of:
  • Illegal drugs: Any household containing a member(s) who was evicted in the last three years from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity will be denied admission. Households in which any member is currently engaged in illegal use of drugs or for which the owner/agent has reasonable cause to believe that a member’s illegal use or pattern of illegal use of a drug may interfere with the health, safety and right to peaceful enjoyment of the property by other residents also will be denied admission.
  • Sexual offenders: Any household member who is subject to any state sexual offender registration requirement will be denied admission.
  • Violence and violent crime: Households containing a member that has a history of violence against other persons and/or who have been convicted of a crime using a weapon against another individual will be denied admission.
  • Alcoholism behavior: Any household member’s behavior, from alcoholism abuse that may have led to violent or offensive behavior and/or crime that will interfere with the health, safety and right to peaceful enjoyment by other residents, will be denied admission. The screening standards must be based on alcoholism behavior, not a medically diagnosed condition of alcoholism or alcohol abuse.

• Felony conviction: Any household containing a member who has a felony conviction for any type of crime that is less than seven years old will be subject to denial.
• Misdemeanor conviction: Households with members who have a misdemeanor conviction or are a habitual offender with misdemeanor convictions that relate to sexual offenses, drugs or violence will be subject to denial. Examples include public intoxication, disorderly conduct, menacing, soliciting prostitution and vandalism.
• Criminal offense against employees and property: Households with members who have at any time have committed other criminal activity that would threaten the health, safety of the owner or any employee, contractor, subcontractor or agent will be denied admission. 14. Will this development hurt my property values? Market valuation for houses is based primarily on comparables (nearby houses of similar size, school quality, tax rates and community economic strength). Similarly, market values for apartments are valued based on comparable rental developments and are not affected by senior housing, assisted living apartments, subsidized/tax credit financed housing or single- family residential.