Pritzker is preparing a number of major announcements on energy and housing. I’ll provide updates as I see them come in.
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/pr ... l-control/
Housing:
Gov. JB Pritzker will propose a statewide zoning law in his State of the State address on Wednesday, drastically limiting the authority local governments have to control what types of housing structures can be built on land that’s zoned residential.
Local zoning boards would no longer be allowed to prohibit property owners from building multi-unit housing on residential lots exceeding 2,500 square feet.
More straightforward, accessory dwelling units — attached or detached secondary residences such as granny flats, backyard cottages and above-garage apartments — would be legalized on all properties zoned for residential use
If local governments do not complete an inspection or review within a certain number of days, the applicant would be able to use a qualified third-party firm to do it. All state and local requirements would still apply.
On the capital side, $100 million would be set aside through an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development grant program for sewer, stormwater, utility and other site prep work. Pritzker officials said this infrastructure work is often difficult for developers to finance and often sinks projects before they even launch. It is modeled after a DCEO site readiness program for land eyed for industrial development.
Another $100 million through the Illinois Housing Development Authority is earmarked for middle housing development. The funds will be made available to private and nonprofit affordable housing developers.
And $50 million would be split between the existing Opening Doors program, which provides $6,000 loans for down payment and closing cost assistance to those who have historically faced institutional barriers to home ownership; and the SmartBuy program, which helps people overcome student loan debt barriers to home ownership. The programs have served 12,000 and 1,100 homebuyers, respectively, since 2020.