Illinois City Pursues Gays and Lesbians to Improve Its Quality of Life

Back during the summer, I wrote about a meeting between the City of Hampton, Virginia department of economic development and members of Hampton Roads Business OutReach ("HRBOR"), the local LGBT and LGBT friendly chamber of commerce in an effort to secure LGBT involvement in revitalization efforts for the Phoebes section of the city. Apparently, folks in Berwyn, Illinois, has some things in common with the City of Hampton - it too is reaching out to LGBT couples in the hope they will move to and invest in Berwyn and boost the city's quality of life. As one friend noted after the HRBOR-City of Hampton meeting, maybe the new LGBT Motto should be "You'll Thank Us Later - After Your Property Values Increase." Berwyn has even inaugurated an ad campaign to encourage LGBT couples to come to the city and boost its quality of life. Here are some highlights from the Chicago Tribune:
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Marge Paul can sit on the front porch of her Berwyn home, look at the crisscrossing, bungalow-lined streets to the north and south, and smile about something many don't realize.
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"I know there's a gay or lesbian couple on just about every block," said Paul, Berwyn's 3rd Ward alderman and the city's first openly gay elected official. "But I think there are some gays and lesbians in Berwyn who still think they're the only ones."
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Berwynites — from the mayor to Paul to everyday citizens — are trying to alter that view, using an aggressive marketing campaign in Chicago neighborhoods such as Lakeview and Andersonville to convince people that their suburb is both affordable and amenable to people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
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The broader, $70,000-a-year campaign — titled "Why Berwyn?" — targets people of all walks of life and features billboards and radio advertisements across the Chicago area. But part of it is directed specifically at the LGBT community. "That was the key demographic we were looking for," Lennon said. "Not the only demographic, but the key one."
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From a real estate standpoint, few would argue with the city's approach. It has been well-established anecdotally and through academic research that an influx of gay or lesbian residents often boosts property values and can lead to improvements in the appearance of a community as well as the amenities it offers.