BUILD: The First Layer in Fixing Illinois Housing

Originally published in a REALTOR® Association of Fox Valley newsletter. Republished here as part of Neeley Erickson’s Policy Commentary series.

If housing policy were an onion, most of us would prefer not to peel it. It makes your eyes water. It is layered. It is complicated. It is easier to set it on the counter and hope someone else handles it.

The Build Up Illinois Development Plan, known as BUILD, is Illinois picking up the knife.

The comprehensive housing proposal includes several long-standing priorities championed by Illinois REALTORS® that are now moving forward as part of a broader statewide strategy. The focus is straightforward. Illinois needs more housing. More supply stabilizes prices, supports job growth, and strengthens communities.

The legislation centers on expanding housing opportunities in practical ways. The gentle density proposal applies to future residential development and allows additional housing types in new projects. It does not rewrite existing neighborhoods or eliminate design standards. Local governments retain authority over form, setbacks, height, and aesthetics. What it does address is the ability to plan for duplexes, townhomes, and other missing middle housing that provides attainable options for working families. It creates statewide consistency, so builders are not forced to navigate a patchwork of conflicting regulations in every municipality.

Other elements focus on reducing unnecessary regulatory friction, modernizing permitting processes, and encouraging more predictable development review. Predictability matters. Builders and lenders need clarity to make projects pencil. When the rules vary dramatically from town to town, risk increases and production slows. A more consistent statewide framework helps lower uncertainty while still preserving local input on design and character.

BUILD also recognizes that supply reform alone is not enough. The proposal includes infrastructure support for local governments so communities can extend utilities, modernize systems, and prepare sites for housing development. Growth requires roads, water, sewer, and public investment to function responsibly. The plan also advances tools like a homebuyer savings program to help future homeowners prepare for down payments and closing costs. Expanding access to ownership and strengthening the development pipeline are complementary strategies, not competing ones. Housing production, infrastructure readiness, and pathways to ownership must move together if we want stable communities.

Housing is economic development. Economic development creates jobs. Jobs create thriving communities. Every employer looking to expand asks the same question. Where will our workforce live. When housing supply is constrained, companies hesitate, wages stretch, and families struggle to find stable options near employment centers. Stability in housing is stability in the broader economy.

This plan is not a silver bullet. Housing challenges are multifaceted. Labor shortages limit how quickly units can be built. Material costs remain elevated. Infrastructure investments lag in many regions. Local zoning codes in some communities were written for a different era. Production will not double overnight simply because legislation passes. A shortage of developers in certain markets also means projects will take time to come online.

Starting matters. Waiting guarantees that affordability worsens. When supply remains constrained, frustration grows. That frustration often turns into calls for reactive policies that address symptoms rather than root causes. The ripple effects of those policies can create broader market distortions that ultimately harm the very households they aim to help.

BUILD represents an intentional first step. It acknowledges that housing policy must be addressed at a structural level while still respecting local authority over how communities look and function. It encourages local governments to prioritize housing within comprehensive plans and development strategies. It signals that Illinois understands the connection between housing production and long-term economic vitality.

Peeling back the onion is not glamorous work. It requires data, collaboration, and patience. It requires aligning state leadership with local implementation. It requires acknowledging that supply is foundational to affordability.

If Illinois is serious about opportunity, workforce growth, and community stability, housing must be part of the equation. BUILD does not solve everything. It does move us forward. In a housing environment defined by rising costs and limited inventory, forward is a direction worth taking.