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Strategic Housing Plan
What is Housing4All?
Housing4All is Evanston’s first comprehensive and actionable housing strategy, providing clear direction for the City to address housing challenges and opportunities through 2036.
Challenges
Evanston’s economic and racial diversity are at risk, and although diverse overall, Evanston’s neighborhoods are segregated. Housing costs are outpacing income growth. Renters are cost-burdened, paying >30% of income on housing, and home ownership is increasingly difficult, particularly for younger people.
Focus
The City will address these challenges through three objectives:
- Protecting residents from displacement will support household and community stability as Evanston continues to grow and evolve.
- Preserving affordable housing units will expand long-term affordability and economic diversity in Evanston.
- Creating new housing units will increase affordable housing and housing options overall in Evanston.
Our Goals
The City of Evanston is committed to achieving the following goals by 2036:
- Increase economic diversity through a more equitable distribution of income
- Increase racial diversity through a more equitable distribution of race and ethnicity
- Reduce geographic disparities based on income and net worth
- Reduce the number of cost-burdened households by 5 - 10%
- Preserve 500 - 1,000 existing affordable housing units
- Create 2,500 - 4,000 new housing units
Milestones
- September 12, 2025: Draft Plan + Gap Analysis Release
- September 12 - October 12, 2025: Primary Feedback Opportunities
- September 16, 2025: HCDC Draft Plan + Gap Analysis Discussion
- October 21, 2025: HCDC Draft Plan Feedback
- November 6, 2025: HCDC Draft Plan Feedback (continued)
- January 14, 2026: Plan Update Release
- January 20, 2026: HCDC Plan Update Review
- February 17, 2026: HCDC Plan Update Recommendation
- April 13, 2026: City Council Review + Accept and Place on File
Past Feedback Opportunities
Draft Plan: September 12 - October 12, 2025
675+ English and Spanish responses were completed. Paper forms were available for pick-up and drop-off at six City of Evanston facilities. Thank you for your input! Your contributions helped to create a stronger, more implementable, and more impactful plan.
Preliminary: Through July 29, 2024
100+ English and Spanish responses were completed. Input from PRO Housing applications, the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, Envision Evanston 2045, and other engagement efforts informed the direction of the plan.