Title: EmployerAssisted Housing
1Employer-Assisted Housing An Investment That
Pays Many Times Over
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org
2Jobs-Housing Mismatch
Problem Metro Chicago jobs and population are
growing at a faster rate than the supply of
workforce housing. Issue Workforce problems
result from this Jobs-Housing Mismatch. Solution
Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) Maximizes
employee retention by implementing this
outsourced, easy-to-administer employee benefit.
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org
3EAH is a win for everyone.
Why Employer-Assisted Housing?
- EAH benefits . . .
- The EMPLOYEE
- The EMPLOYER
- The COMMUNITY
- The HOUSING POLICY ARENA
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org
4How it Works
- Employer Role
- Identifies targeted population and approximate
budget - Provides small grants to employees or local loan
pool for housing assistance - Contracts with non-profits for technical
assistance, education and counseling services and
evaluation
- REACH (nonprofit counseling)Partner Role
- Administers the EAH program
- Provides credit counseling and housing education
to employees - Connects buyers and renters with financing
products, financial institutions and realtors - Applies for, administers state tax credits
- MPC/Housing Action IL Role
- Supports partnership development
- Provides assistance in program design, ongoing
t.a. and resource development - Coordinates program evaluation
- Facilitates outreach to companies
- Assists in marketing and publicity
- Financial Partner and Developer Roles
- May offer special loan products or other
incentives - May provide program support for REACH partners
- Assists in marketing efforts for employees
- Can purchase tax credits
- Are often leading EAH employers
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org
5Nonprofit partner can leverage numerous resources
- State Matching Funds
- State match of 1 for each 1 of down
payment/closing cost assistance provided to an
employee - Reimbursement of some counseling costs for
successful home purchases by employees - Participating buyers income restricted to 80
Area Median Income - State Income Tax Credits
- 50 cent tax credit for 1 invested in EAH, for
both rental and homeownership models, for
households earning up to 120 AMI - Credit is transferable if donating entity does
not have tax liability - Private, Municipal and County Programs
- First-time homebuyer programs, Federal Homeloan
Bank AHP dollars, other matching resources - Federal Tax Benefits
- Federal tax benefit for contributing to
non-profit organization - Housing Americas Workforce Act
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org
6Achievements and Potential
- Concrete
- Nearly 60 employers signed-on to EAH
- Nearly 600 employees purchased homes with
employer downpayment assistance - Over 1200 employees received counseling --
homebuyer education and credit clean-up, thanks
to employer - In 2005, the median employee income was 41,000,
median household income was 50,000, - 23 companies supporting the CHA Plan for
Transformation - New small business, rent subsidy and
inter-jurisdictional models forming
- Strategic
- Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Housing Endorsement
Criteria and Housing Action Agenda - First Ever State of Illniois Housing Policy and
Comprehensive Housing Plan - Local Ordinances and State Legislation to Back up
the Above - At the national level, new legislation introduced
largely inspired by Illinois Housing
Americas Workforce Act
Metropolitan Planning Council
www.metroplanning.org or
www.reachillinois.org