There are a lot of moving parts that go into building a life in the place you live, from a dorm to a co-op to a neighborhood. From The Daily Northwestern: A look into the civic laws zoning where we live, the relationships defining who we live with, the scenery that impacts how we live and the reasons why we keep building. Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about housing in Evanston.
From apartment complexes to one-story houses, Evanston offers a wide range of housing options. Whether you’re looking to be in the center of downtown Evanston, next to the Chicago Transit Authority Purple Line or neighboring Northwestern’s Evanston Campus, there are plenty of residential dwellings around town.
Northwestern offered six new residency options to undergraduates this academic year. The new residence halls formerly housed members of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council, including those previously used by the Greek chapters of Delta Upsilon, Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Theta, Gamma Phi Beta, Pi Beta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha.
Residents and advocates have long argued that accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are a particularly intense issue in areas with high concentrations of student housing. A six-month moratorium was proposed on the construction of new internal, non-landlord-occupied ADUs in July. Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) called the developments “mini-dorms” because of their reputation to pack student areas in the First and Second Wards.
The Brothel Law, an Evanston zoning rule, bars more than three people who aren’t related to each other from living in the same housing unit without a special permit. The specificity of “housing unit” is important. More than three unrelated people could live within the same house, as long as they don’t live in the same division of that house or on the same lease. In Evanston, multi-lease houses most frequently occur in the form of separated apartments, or accessory dwelling units.
MOSAIC, a housing co-op close to Northwestern’s campus that has long maintained two houses: “Zooo” and “Treehouse.” There, members shopped together, cooked meals for one another and helped each other with cleaning responsibilities and house upkeep.
Since 2006, developers have built 10 buildings with nine or more stories in Evanston. High rise apartment complexes continue spreading through downtown Evanston and developers continue proposing new projects to the city’s Planning and Development Committee. Recently, some residents and business owners are growing concerned about the effect developments are having on the city’s affordable housing market and small businesses.
A handful of Northwestern upperclassmen commute to campus from Rogers Park, a 20-minute CTA ride south of campus.
Students who have decided to live with their significant other said living, practicing and competing with team members and a significant other has been a positive experience so far, though it requires communication and patience.
Housing assignments can often make or break students’ lives on campus, especially those with dietary restrictions, according to Lisa Carlson, Northwestern’s campus dietician. In Willard Residential College, this means checking in with the student residential board, which executes most dorm programming.
For undergraduate students who test positive for COVID-19, 1835 Hinman becomes home for 10 to 14 days. While quarantine takes place inside standard dorms, life looks completely different, with new neighbors, routines and problems to navigate.
"My bike wasn't just useful in helping me get to work on time; it established a routine. I knew just how much time it would take me to get from point A to point B, and the swiftness involved from getting to those points made me actually stick with biking every day," said Diego Ramos Bechara.
"Homeowners can thank lakefill structures, similar to Northwestern’s Lakefill, for the erosion that has caused their current predicaments. Constructing a lakefill displaces huge amounts of sand and changes the course of the waves, which alters the shape of beaches and wetlands," said op-ed contributor Shruti Rathnavel.