Candidate Responses to Action Ridge AH Survey
‍

AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURVEY QUESTIONS:
1. Are you familiar with the Park RidgeAffordable Housing Plan and/or details?
2. Wheredoes affordable housing rank in terms of your priorities?
3. Whatare your thoughts on implementation timing?
4. Doyou have general opinions on the suggested strategies/incentives?

DavidCartwright, 4^th Ward Alderperson Candidate
I took some time to review     the plan and details, but it's not something that I would say I am well     versed in or where I have all the historic details that brought the city to this point. We should continue to study     the impact this would have on the city and where zoning for AH makes  sense. I would say this is on the list of priorities as we look to continue to grow and develop Park Ridge. I'm looking forward to the     ongoing discussion and where this best fits in with the city and how city council can assist developers in this area. I'm in favor of creating more Affordable Housing in Park Ridge. With the close proximity to public transportation via the Blue Line and Metra Stations, PACE buses, and a     walkable uptown area, more housing options across all income levels will benefit the city and the business community. Affordable housing enhances  economic diversity, supports local businesses by increasing foot traffic,  and fosters a sense of inclusivity. It also ensures that essential     workers, such as teachers, healthcare providers, and service industry  employees, can live close to their workplaces, contributing to a vibrant,  resilient community.

‍KellyMuno, 4^th Ward Alderperson Candidate
In full transparency, I am     actively getting up to speed on the Affordable Housing Plan (AH Plan) and     its integration into the Uptown Master Plan (UMP) as I continue to spend  time with our current Alderpersons to understand what has transpired to     date.  However, I do understand that ensuring compliance with the     Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act (AHPAA) while considering our     city’s broader development goals is important given the State mandate. While affordable housing is     an important issue, my primary focus is on public safety, preservation of our rich heritage in conjunction with responsible growth, and economic     development.  Having said that, I believe that housing affordability     impacts many aspects of our community, and I support a balanced approach that considers both housing needs and broader city goals.  As I     shared, most recently at the Chamber event this week, I would like to  reduce the tax burden on our residents so that “our children can afford to     come home” and those that live here, can do so without incremental tax     burdens.  Park Ridge has historically been a multi-generational city     which is why my campaign theme is “our roots run deep”.  I would like     the City Council, with the help of committees like yours, to explore     creative and practical solutions to identify potential sources of revenue     other than property taxes to attract more people to our unique and special     town. Implementation should be thoughtful and aligned with our city’s overall planning efforts. I believe     in a measured approach that ensures financial sustainability, community     input, and responsible growth.  However, after being in the corporate  world for over 40 years, I lean more into action than indefinite discussions  especially when it comes to getting results. I support policies that     encourage responsible development and housing diversity while maintaining     the character and economic vitality of our city. Some strategies such as incentivizing mixed-use developments, maintaining existing affordable     units, collaborating with community groups and developers to create     sustainable solutions and exploring zone modifications to allow for accessory dwelling units are worth exploring further. However, any new  initiative should be carefully evaluated to ensure they align with the  city’s long-term fiscal and development goals..

‍LaurenRapisand, 6^th Ward Alderperson Candidate
‍Thankyou for asking these important questions. I have read the Affordable Housing plan and while I have considered the presented potential strategies and actions, I believe there is still a lot of research and understanding I need before being able to fully answer your questions.  This is a complicated issue that certainly does not have a quick or easy answer.  I understand that Park Ridge generally features low vacancy and high-demand for existing structures so the implementation of the plan will need careful,thoughtful and creative execution. I believe it needs to be part of the larger conversation and taken into consideration as decisions are made regarding othercity issues moving forward. One example of this would be looking at ways to incorporate crossovers between economic development and affordable housing.  I’m not sure what this looks like exactly, but I think we need to start thinking outside the box a bit tofind solutions that carefully consider our current and future residents’ needs.Asyou know, Park Ridge has a few obstacles in its way. The City lacks influence over private real estate forces which is our biggest hurdle.  Park Ridge is also “land-locked” which makes it extremely difficult to find new parcels that would accommodate the area needed to reach the goal of 10%.  I think the City has done a good job in identifying potential strategies, but execution will need to be creative and make sense based on many factors. If elected, I would like to sit down with City staff to better understand the plan, the obstacles, and how these potential strategies would affect other aspects of City government so we can, as a Council, make smart decisions that work.

‍SalRaspanti, Mayoral Candidate
Yes, I am familiar with the Affordable Housing     Plan approved by the City Council, to keep us compliant with the State's     Affordable Housing Plan and Appeals Act.  As Mayor, I believe the residents will     ultimately guide where affordable housing fits in terms of a priority.     While I believe it isn't something that belongs on the back burner, it is definitely     worthy of continued thoughtful discussion.  I also believe it's worth     noting that various surveys and strategic planning sessions also did not     reveal or present Affordable Housing as an urgent area of focus.         We Will continue to follow State law and make     adjustments when necessary and move forward with efforts to add units to     achieve the 10% voted on by the City Council . My thoughts on strategies moving forward would     be, to allow the Planning and Zoning commission, by way of the PUD     process, to continue prioritizing the City's desire to include affordable     housing as its favored requirement upon request from an applicant who is     asking for exceptions.  Please note, while important, it is not a     quick process. To my knowledge, we've had only one application to date     that worked it's way through Planning and Zoning Commission and     subsequently the City Council with unanimous approval on a 3 unit     affordable set aside. Unfortunately, it now looks as though the developer     may not move forward and the property is for sale.  Even so, the     process worked and I am convinced it will continue to do so. 

‍MartyMaloney, Mayoral Candidate
‍1.  Yes.I am familiar with the City’s Affordable Housing Plan that was adopted in the Spring of 2024 which was the culmination of a great deal of work and collaboration with the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus.  
 2.  This is always a difficult question to answer when it is posed on any topic, because I do not want to seem disingenuous in my answer, nor do I want to set unrealistic expectations.  I do recognize that the little progress we have made on Affordable Housing has been very slow in coming.   I think there are tangible steps and successes we can achieve this year, and many of those strategies will not have a major impact on our budget (which can be a roadblock when it comes to projects within the City). It is always apriority for me to keep things moving and achieve wins where we can.  I think this subject area has many items we can achieve in a much shorter amount of time (than it has taken for us to reach this point).  That is why I amcomfortable in saying that it is a priority me to see that happen in 2025, andone that I think can happen. 
3.  Based on the plan that was adopted, the summary of the timeline has “consideration of strategies and actions” taking place in 2024-2026 and  2026-2028 labeled as “continue implementation of Plan.”   Ithink 2025 (and 2026) does not need to be time spent only considering strategies and actions but rather a year in which we can take action.   For example, I think we should begin action on strategy #4 (helping seniors age in place) immediately.   There are programs which the City of ParkRidge can begin implementing today that can assist in that effort, and organizations whom we can partner with who have expertise and we can look to for help (i.e. Center of Concern).  This is a major focus of my “Community for All” that I have been speaking about during the campaign.    
4.  Ithink the strategies that we have identified in the plan are very good initial actions/ steps in putting us on the path to reaching our goals.   I feel that the timing is where the plan can be tightened up, and this really ties back to my answer in the previous question.   I do not see any reason why we need to wait until 2026 to see programs in place as identified in the plan.  Most (if not all) of those should begin this year, with programs in place, fees being collected, marketing going out, recruiting happening, and conversations happening with large stake holdersin the community (i.e. LGH).  Seeing action on those strategies and incentives will allow us to know if they are working orcan work to help us achieve our goals.  Once we have a sense of that, we can adjust the plan (if needed) andreview / add different or additional strategies to make sure we are really working to achieve our goals in a genuine manner.