Inclusionary Housing

*New Inclusionary Housing Ordinance - Effective April 1, 2025*

On February 10, 2025, City Council approved a new Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, effective April 1, 2025.

The City of Evanston recognizes that new housing in Evanston is generally not affordable to low- and moderate-income households and the Inclusionary Housing Program seeks to address this.

Developments covered by the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) are required to:

• Provide housing units for low- and moderate-income households and/or
• Contribute to the City's Affordable Housing Fund

The City provide the following incentives:

• Waived and deferred building permit fees
• Zoning bonuses and reduced parking requirements
• Managed, centralized waitlist of potential tenants

Cook County provides meaningful property tax incentives (see below)

The City of Evanston's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) was first in force in 2007 and the current IHO is effective April 1, 2025. For more info, see Legislative History .

Potential Renters/Homebuyers

Interested in renting or purchasing an Inclusionary Housing unit? Don't know where to start? The City of Evanston created a centralized waitlist for all Inclusionary Housing units. This list is managed by Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH). When a unit becomes available, prospective tenants are contacted based on their place on the centralized waitlist.

To apply for the waitlist:

• Fill out the pre-application online OR
• Download the fillable PDF and send it to CPAHwaitlist@cpahousing.org

Note: A completed pre-application by an eligible household adds your name to the waitlist and is not an application for a specific unit. When a unit is available, those at the top of the waitlist can apply. Listings for current and/or recently available units can be seen here.

Questions about pre-application, eligibility or the waitlist? Contact Millie Centurion at mcenturion@cpahousing.org or 847-263-7478 Ext 28.

For additional housing resources: Local Housing Resource List

Developer Resources

Developments covered by the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance contain 7+ dwelling units. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• New residential or mixed-use development
• Redevelopment that changes the tenure from rental to for-sale or for-sale to rental
• Redevelopment that changes the number of bedrooms or size of dwelling units
• Redevelopment that changes the use to residential
• New residential component to existing development

To start the entitlement process:

• Visit the Zoning Applications page and/or email zoning@cityofevanston.org or 847-448-4311.
• Submit an Inclusionary Housing Application concurrently with the Zoning Analysis Application

The Cook County Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program:

• Provides tax incentives to developments containing 7+ rental units
• Incentives vary for 15%, 20% and 35% affordability
• As a "low affordability community", developments in Evanston are eligible for the 20% tier 
• Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program
• Tax Incentives Summary
• IL Statute 15-178: Reduction in assessed value for affordable rental housing construction or rehabilitation

Additional Resources

Inclusionary Housing units must adhere to current maximum gross rents and income limits. For rental units, gross rent include tenant-paid utilities.

Legislative History

Note: This page is intended to provide a summary of the current Inclusionary Housing Program. Please confirm all rules and regulations in the Inclusionary Housing Ordinances above.

Content current as of 5/21/2025.