DuPage County NSP partnership moves swiftly

The Shular family finds a home in the first completed NSP residence in DuPage County (Courtesy DuPage Habitat for Humanity)
 
DuPage County and its private and non-profit partners are well on their way to obligating their $5.2 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Funds (NSP) by March 2010--six months ahead of schedule.  With eleven single family homes and seven rental units underway, the DuPage County partnership has already committed 70% of its federal NSP allocation. DuPage County’s partnership includes Community Housing Association of DuPage (CHAD), DHA Management, Inc., DuPage Habitat for Humanity, local realtors, and the DuPage Homeownership Center. 

DuPage County staff and partners have been active with a boots-on-the-ground approach to identifying clusters of high foreclosure. In addition to data tracking, County staff and partners visited areas of high need, including a field trip on the coldest day of the year in January 2009 where officials from Glendale Heights and others visited one house completely encrusted in ice--on the inside!   

DuPage County’s NSP program committed 25% of its funds to CHAD to produce rental units for households for families at less than 50% of median income, 25% of funds to DuPage Habitat for Humanity, and the remainder to be used jointly by DuPage County and DHA Management, Inc. for rehab and resale to households at or below 120% of median income. 

CHAD’s initial plan for six units of rental housing was increased to seven as a result of careful management of funds. It is anticipated four units are nearly ready for occupancy.  Two of the seven homes DHA Management and the County are working on are complete and currently on the market. 

All County partners celebrated the first occupancy of an NSP-assisted home in the fall of 2009.  Via DuPage Habitat for Humanity’s efforts,  Juliette Shular and family moved into the first DuPage County NSP completed home and enjoyed their new space during the holiday season. DuPage Habitat for Humanity is rehabbing two additional homes and is preparing to close on a fourth home purchase. 

The DuPage Homeownership Center serves as the DuPage County counseling partner. DuPage County partners like the DuPage Homeownership Center have been at the forefront of developing strategies and solutions early on in the foreclosure crisis.  In the fall of 2008, Dru Bergman of the DuPage Homeowneship Center co-chaired Regional HOPI’s Task Force on Home Ownership Counseling and Legal Aid at several meetings attended by over 100 practitioners from throughout the region. Inspired by this leadership and that of Dan Lindsey of the Legal Assistance Foundation, this task force has been staffed by Housing Action Illinois throughout 2009 and has worked closely with other area agencies coordinating strategies across vacant buildings, financing products and research and communication tools to address the foreclosure crisis.  DuPage County Partners with other NSP awardees are sharing their experiences and learning from others via the Chicago area NSP Coordinating Council staffed by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.  As housing recovery still proves elusive, DuPage’s local efforts offer a welcome bright spot.