Take Action to help reduce costs for Illinois families

Tell legislators:
pass the build plan!

Name(Required)

Dear Legislator,

I’m writing to ask you to support the BUILD Plan to bring down housing costs. Too many people are struggling to afford homes in Illinois and the BUILD Plan will help families in our area achieve and hold onto the American Dream of Homeownership.

Illinois needs more housing options for working families. The BUILD Plan plan is about keeping communities strong by helping families put down roots, helping seniors age near family, and making sure Illinois stays a place where the next generation can afford to stay and build a life. And the BUILD Plan doesn’t allow or encourage mega-projects or “one-size fits all” building rules, it encourages starter homes that strengthen neighborhood character, like ranches, duplexes and townhomes. From young professionals just starting out, to working families and seniors, the BUILD Plan will ensure new homebuilding that is safe, high-quality and affordable.

Please support the BUILD Plan to help bring down the rising cost of housing. The BUILD Plan will ease housing costs for everyone in Illinois while protecting home values and preserving neighborhoods and communities.

Higher Costs are Hurting Illinois Families.

Illinois families are struggling under the burden of out-of-control housing costs. And the housing crisis isn’t abstract; it’s hitting Illinois families’ wallets and causing some to put off homeownership. 

State legislators can fix this problem and bring down housing costs by passing the BUILD Plan. BUILD will expand housing options for working families by accelerating homebuilding.

BUILD is about keeping communities strong – helping families put down roots, helping seniors age near family, and making sure Illinois stays a place where the next generation can afford to stay and build a life. 

From small towns, to large cities and the suburbs in-between, BUILD will ease housing costs for everyone while protecting home values and preserving neighborhood character and communities. 

And importantly the BUILD plan preserves local control over approval of new housing and will add local tax revenue and high-quality jobs. 

BUILD will help housing costs by:

✅ Eliminating outdated local housing bans.
✅ Creating more housing and helps bring down costs.
✅ Prioritizing real starter homes like ranches and duplexes, not more mega apartments.

➡️ Send a message to your legislator today and urge them to VOTE YES on the BUILD PLAN!

Tell Legislators: don’t demolish the American Dream,
help BUILD it!

Learn More

Illinois is short 142,000 homes and would need to build 225,000 homes in the next five years just to keep up with demand, that would require tripling new home construction every year for five years! The housing supply crisis has cost Illinois approximately $2 Billion in brokerage activity and about $9.7 Billion in gross economic impact in the last 5 years alone.

If enacted, this package would accelerate new home construction by:

  • Eliminating local bans on small “in-law units” or backyard cottages, as long as they meet safety and zoning standards.
  • Allowing smaller multifamily buildings to use a single staircase for entry/exit when it is shown to be just as safe as two staircases.
  • Allowing modest duplexes, triplexes, or four-unit homes on larger residential lots to increase housing options while preserving neighborhood character.
  • Ending local abuse of residential impact fee formulas via transparency, predictability and standardization.
  • Legalizing single family starter homes, like ranches and bungalows, on smaller lots.
  • Overhauling local bureaucracy and red tape by creating permit-review deadlines and allowing third-party review/inspection when municipalities are unable to perform their duties.
  • Reducing local parking minimums that add unnecessary costs to construction and use up precious space.

States routinely set statewide standards affecting housing and land use, including building codes, accessibility requirements, and fair housing laws. Research shows restrictive local land-use regulation can limit housing supply and increase housing costs. The BUILD plan seeks to implement best standards and practices while ensuring that local governments maintain local control over most building and zoning codes, safety standards, plan approval and inspections.