Suburban housing collaborative: a case for interjurisdictional collaboration

More than 280 municipalities surround the city of Chicago, with more than 120 in Cook County alone. The metropolitan region?s seven counties also include 123 townships, 307 school districts, 136 fire districts, 173 park districts, and 108 library districts. (GO TO 2040 2010) In recent years, some suburban communities have recorded foreclosure rates exceeding those of the most distressed inner city neighborhoods. In other towns, home values have fallen to 1990s levels. In still others, less than 10 percent of the local workforce can afford to live near where they work. Layered over all of these conditions are pared down municipal budgets that limit the capacity of communities to provide basic services, let alone address and maintain vacant properties resulting from the foreclosure crisis. In short, community leaders, elected officials, developers, policymakers, and advocates face the challenges of balancing community priorities with sharply reduced municipal budgets. They also seek additional, outside resources to address the impacts of an unprecedented foreclosure crisis and recession. Some municipal leaders have joined forces to explore one possible solution to address housing issues. Interjurisdictional collaboration (IJC) is not a new concept, but it takes many forms and may have the potential to be adapted and replicated in other communities across the region.