Village of Wilmette Housing Plan Community Survey

In 2024, the Village of Wilmette adopted a new Comprehensive Plan, Ready, Set, Wilmette. The plan includes five goals to guide the Village’s approach to housing:

1. Neighborhoods - A Community with Desirable Residential Neighborhoods
2. Housing Stock Diversity - Housing that Meets the Needs of Current and Potential Future Residents
3. Residential Development - A Diversity of Housing Stock in the Village
4. Preserve Existing Affordable Housing and Housing Affordability - A Broad Array of Housing Opportunities in the Village
5. Expand Workforce and Attainable Housing Access - Housing that is Attainable to Diverse Household Types

The Village is now preparing a Housing Plan to prioritize strategies that will help achieve these goals and respond to the community’s housing needs.

This survey will help inform the Housing Plan. The survey is anonymous and takes about 5 minutes to complete. Thank you for sharing your input.

To learn more about the Village of Wilmette’s Housing Plan process, visit this webpage.

A key part of the Village of Wilmette’s Housing Plan will be prioritizing potential housing strategies. These priorities will help guide which strategies the Village may evaluate in the near term, and which may be considered over a longer time frame.

Note: These are ideas and concepts to gauge community feedback; there are no immediate plans to change local zoning laws.

Please indicate how much of a priority you believe each of the following housing strategies should be.

1. Increasing the Demolition Fee and Utilizing Funds for Housing Initiatives

The Village could consider charging a higher fee when residential buildings are demolished and dedicating the proceeds to housing initiatives. Wilmette currently averages about 23 single-family demolitions per year and charges a $4,500 permit fee, the proceeds of which are not dedicated to a housing program. Some nearby communities charge higher demolition fees and direct the revenue to housing funds that support housing programs or developments.

Any changes to demolition fees and the use of funds would be considered by the Village Board and established through updates to Village ordinances.

2. Preserving the Existing Stock of Affordable Housing in Wilmette

Wilmette’s housing market already includes some affordable apartments in multifamily buildings as well as a small number of affordable single-family homes. Rising housing prices put these homes at risk of losing their affordability over time.

The Village could consider providing funding or other support for programs that help maintain long-term housing affordability. For example, the Village has added 16 Community Land Trust (CLT) homes through a contribution from the Optima Lumina development; CLTs are nonprofit programs where the organization owns the land and homeowners own the structures, with resale restrictions to keep prices affordable in perpetuity. In addition, the Village could provide grants or loans to property owners in exchange for keeping some rental units affordable to income-qualified tenants.

Funding for these programs could come from demolition fees or contributions collected from new multifamily housing developments.

3. Funding New Affordable or Supportive Housing Development

The Village could consider providing local funding to support the development of new affordable housing or supportive housing. Affordable housing serves income-eligible households, while supportive housing serves individuals with developmental or physical disabilities. 

Local funds are often combined with state, federal, or nonprofit funding sources to help make housing developments financially feasible.

These funds could come from sources such as demolition fees or contributions collected from new multifamily housing developments.

4. Updating Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Regulations

The Village could consider updating regulations related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which are small secondary homes located on the same property as a single-family house. Generally, ADUs are either located within a home, above a garage, or in a detached structure.

Currently, Village zoning limits ADUs to units attached to the primary home, such as a basement or attic, and allows only a senior family member aged 55 or older, or a person with a disability, to live in the unit. Over the last 25 years, the Village has seen one ADU constructed. The Village could consider allowing additional types of ADUs or modifying rules about who can live in an ADU.

5. Allowing More Density and Housing in the Village Center and Business Districts

The Village could consider allowing additional density for multifamily buildings with more homes in Village Center and in business districts such as Linden Square, Ridge Road, and Green Bay Road. Increasing the height and density within the zoning laws would allow an increase in the number of homes allowed on a site, which can lower the per-unit cost of development and make the average apartment or condo in these buildings more affordable. These changes would focus new housing in areas already served by shops, services, and transit.

Any changes would be evaluated through updates to the Village’s zoning regulations, with community input, to determine appropriate locations and development standards that balance additional housing with each area’s character. For example, Ready, Set, Wilmette recommends the Village evaluate allowing an additional 1-2 stories above what is currently allowed in business districts.

6. Allowing Housing Without Requiring Ground-Floor Retail in Some Areas

In some business districts, zoning currently requires new buildings to include commercial space on the ground floor. The Village could consider allowing residential development without this requirement in certain areas where retail demand may be limited. This could make it easier for some properties to redevelop with housing while still allowing mixed-use buildings where retail is more likely to be successful.

Any changes would be considered through updates to the Village’s zoning regulations to determine where this flexibility may be appropriate.

7. Requiring Affordable Homes in New Housing Developments

The Village could consider adopting an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requiring new multi-unit residential developments to include a percentage of affordable homes or contribute to a fund that supports housing initiatives. Policies like this are used in several municipalities in the region to encourage housing options for residents with a range of incomes.

Such a policy would need to ensure that it helps create affordable homes within market-rate developments while remaining practical for developers so as not to discourage investment in the community.

8. Allowing Townhomes, Duplexes, and Triplexes in Single-Family Residential Areas

The Village could consider updating its zoning regulations to allow small-scale housing options such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes in residential areas. These housing types are typically similar in size, match the community character and existing built environment with existing single-family homes but contain multiple homes.

Regulations would need to be carefully developed by the Village through updates to its zoning ordinance, with community input, to determine where these housing types may be appropriate and how they should be designed.