By WMBD-TV
BLOOMINGTON – Affordable housing is a national issue, and McLean County is no different.
The McLean County Housing Coalition updated its report on housing and homelessness in the area for 2024, and the picture that was painted wasn’t pretty.
The county has a shortage of about 7,000 housing units, and the homelessness rate is rising.
Janet Hood is a Housing Stability Navigator with Mid Central Community Action, a Bloomington-based non-profit organization. She said those the coalition serves have jobs, but they simply cannot find places to live.
“Most of the people we help house are looking for apartments in the $600-900 a month range, and that’s just not available right now in McLean County,” she said.
The term “affordable housing” can conjure images of low-income tenements or a homeless shelter, but that’s not what affordable housing is. Hood said even though the people they serve have incomes, those incomes aren’t sustainable.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, affordable housing is defined as spending less than 30% of one’s income on housing costs such as utilities and monthly rent or a mortgage.
Hood said that she can help clients make their first month’s rent and utilities, if landlords are willing to work with her. However, that isn’t always the case.
The average home price in the county was $250,000 in 2023, an $80,000 increase from the $170,000 cost in 2020. The county’s regional planning commission recently released a housing recovery plan, which was made available for public comment.
The housing crisis is also fueled by the growth of Rivian and Ferrero bringing in thousands of new residents.
Kathleen Lorenz, director of Community Investment for United Way of McLean County, believes the problem is “fixable,” but it won’t happen overnight.
The coalition combines several different organizations, including faith-based groups and social service agencies.
“It’s really going to take a community effort, both public and private, to put the pieces together,” Lorenz said.
She said that she’s seen strides in construction, especially with townhomes and apartments, but that the county needs more temporary shelter and supportive housing.
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