Housing4All officially passes in Evanston City Council

Updated June 11

Evanston City Council's approval of Housing4All (H4A) marks a major milestone for the city's housing future. It is Evanston's first-ever strategic housing plan, establishing goals and priorities for housing policies and funding over the next decade. Despite last minute attempts to weaken the plan, the final version maintains strong commitments to affordability at all income levels, housing creation, renter protections, and anti-displacement strategies.

Throughout the process, advocates showed up repeatedly at City Council meetings, submitted written testimony, and helped respond quickly when amendments were introduced that would have weakened implementation efforts. "Housing policy can often feel overwhelming or highly technical, so much of our organizing work focused on helping community members understand the issues and engage in the conversation with confidence," said Shereemer Chevannes, Associate Director of Advocacy, Cook County, with Connections. "The good news is that both the Comprehensive Plan and H4A provide a strong foundation for upcoming zoning reform conversations."

We'd like to thank Interfaith Action of Evanston, Open Communities, Urban Playdates, Rezoning for a Better Evanston, Evanston Transit Alliance, Say Yes! To Duplexes, and members of Joining Forces for Affordable Housing for their partnership in this fight.