Legislation being debated in Springfield is aimed at solving a potential housing shortage in Illinois, but what exactly is it and what would it mean for current homeowners across the state?
The BUILD Act is meant to expand affordable housing in Illinois, and while supporters tout it as a necessary move, some leaders fear it could take away local control over what gets built and where.
Illinois is short roughly 142,000 housing units and will need to build over 225,000 units in five years to keep up with growing demand, according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office.
Because of that shortage, Pritzker introduced the Building Up Illinois Developments, or BUILD, plan as part of his “State of the State” address in February.
Instead of leaving zoning regulations up to local communities, the package of bills would make a series of changes that would affect housing statewide, including allowing small apartment buildings in residential areas and smaller second homes, like backyard cottages and granny flats, on lots that already have single-family homes.
Changes would also be made to the the timelines in which housing permit reviews and inspections have to be conducted to prevent project delays. If deadlines are missed, third-party review would be allowed.
Another bill would limit how much parking cities in Illinois are allowed to require for new housing. For multifamily buildings, cities can require no more than half a parking space per unit.
Currently, buildings taller than three stories must have two separate exit stairways, but one of the bills would allow apartment buildings up to six stories to have a single exit stairway. The governor’s staff said that would expand the types of housing units that could be designed.
The governor’s office sees the legislation as a way to create more starter homes and cut red tape, but many suburban mayors have registered against the bills, in many cases because they believe zoning decisions should be left up to individual towns and cities.
“We don’t believe that it’s been thought through. It doesn’t take into account how communities were created,” said Nicole Milovich-Walters, the mayor of Palos Park.
Some cities, like Palos Park, have even drafted sample letters for residents to voice their concerns to Pritzker and lawmakers.
“We were developed intentionally over the last 114 years to keep open space. And giving up the idea of giving up our zoning rights and how we do things, it could be detrimental in many ways to Palos Park,” Milovich-Walters said.
Jim Dodge, the mayor of Orland Park, said the legislation “needs some work.” His primary concern is how it would impact infrastructure.
“If we start adding a lot more housing, that’s going to impact flooding and stormwater management and other public services. So, we need to think those things through,” Dodge said.
He also added, “Is there a place for multifamily housing? Sure. Where to put it and how do you fit that into the design of your town is the open question, and that’s why every town in Illinois is different, which is why they’re going to get a lot of different opinions from every mayor in Illinois.”
But housing advocates say the bill could prove beneficial for the state.
“Everyone is struggling with a lack of affordable quality supply for people to buy homes, whether it’s a single family home or a condominium,” said Bob Palmer from Housing Action Illinois.
Olivia Ortega, director of housing solutions for the Governor’s Office, responded to concerns during a recent hearing, explaining that communities would still guide the design of their neighborhoods.
“If your community is used to duplexes or four-flats, you can design standards to support those forms. If your neighborhoods are primarily single-family (homes), you can shape how smaller-scale options like cottage homes fit into those areas,” Ortega said.
The legislative session ends on May 31. The deadline will arrive at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, the Constitutionally mandated end of the spring legislative session in the state. But lawmakers have been known to blow past that deadline.
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