NIU A No Show at Housing Meeting

At last night’s public hearing on proposed housing ordinances the often discussed and sometimes denied town and gown division in DeKalb was openly revealed. Mayor Kris Povlsen, City Manager Mark Biernacki and Police Chief Gene Lowery held a meeting with NIU President John Peters on Monday, according to Povlsen. The purpose of the meeting was to ask for Peters’ cooperation and to get a university official to come to and participate in the public hearing.

Even though the City of DeKalb has paid NIU some $60,000 for a housing study, as part of the initiative, no one from the university attended or spoke at the meeting

“In fact, he chose not to call me personally, but chose to have someone from the university call and say that he did not want to get involved with this community,” said Povlsen. “I want that to be on the record.”

Also on the record but not discussed was correspondence from Michelle Perkins, executive director of the DeKalb Housing Authority:

As the City Staff, Council Members and the Safe and Quality Housing Task Force continue with discussions regarding Crime Free Lease Addendum, Chronic Nuisance Ordinance Enforcement, Licensing and Rental Property Inspection the Authority respectfully asks that the City consider exempting its public housing properties. […]

Paul Sauser, an owner of a large number of apartments in the city, correctly pointed out that NIU drives the success or failure of DeKalb’s rental industry. As NIU expands into residential the vacancy rate increases in the private sector. The overhead costs of mortgage, insurance and taxes are not forgiving of high vacancy rates. Maintenance costs can go up with the vacancy rate. All of this adds pressure to the landlords to get their units rented and that contributes to a lack of due diligence on tenant selection.

It was not surprising to see the turnout of landlords for the public hearing. Their livelihoods and/or investments are at stake. Nor was it surprising to see the turnout of the North 5th Ward Neighborhood/Ellwood House Historic District members. They’re earmarked for $100,000 of TIF money this fiscal year and have been groomed by Mark Biernacki for not yet approved redevelopment plans in the works.

It’s no longer surprising to see the lack of participation by tenants and students in the affairs that will have major impact on their day to day living in DeKalb. That doesn’t make it any less disappointing.

The licensing “hammer” remains the largest obstacle in the way of community cooperation. I thought perhaps the landlords were guilty of penny pinching in their resistance to annual licensing fees. I oppose property licensing because it is discriminatory (it’s aimed at residential rental property only) and can be abused in the name of “community development plans” such as razing the College Ave., John Street neighborhood.

As Kristen Lash pointed out rental property licensing is a hammer and every toolbox needs a hammer. If you’ve got a hammer you might as well use it, ehhh Kristen?

But with NIU opting out of the proposed program and the DeKalb Housing Authority seeking exemption for their properties maybe the costs of annual licensing is as significant as the private investment property owners proclaim it to be?

Perhaps that cost question could be answered in that $60,000 study that NIU, who doesn’t want to participate, got paid to do for the city. Would anyone trust the source?