Illinois BUILD Plan

Housing affordability and abundance for Illinois

Illinois faces a statewide housing shortage that is driving up costs for working families, seniors, and young people. Governor Pritzker's BUILD Plan is an urgent, practical framework to expand housing supply, legalize more attainable housing types, and reduce barriers that prevent homes from being built. This page provides clear, nonpartisan guidance and coalition resources to help advance that work. Our coalition supports enactment of BUILD legislation to strengthen local economies, improve affordability, and help ensure Illinois is a place where people of all incomes can live, work, and thrive.

Read The Letter Join The Coalition

Fact Sheet

Statewide standards with local implementation

BUILD can establish a predictable statewide baseline while preserving local planning choices and infrastructure coordination.

Housing supply is an affordability issue

Expanding legal pathways for homes across price points is core to reducing long-term cost pressure on households.

Incremental housing broadens participation

Missing-middle and ADU reforms support homeowners, nonprofits, and small builders in addition to larger developers.

Predictability improves planning outcomes

Clear permitting expectations reduce uncertainty, improve timelines, and help communities plan growth responsibly.

Illinois faces a measurable housing supply gap

The state's affordability crisis reflects a real production shortfall, requiring sustained homebuilding across regions and housing types.

Affordability and economic growth are linked

When homes are unavailable or unaffordable, employers struggle to attract workers and communities lose long-term competitiveness.

Coalition Letter

Dear Members of the Illinois General Assembly,

We write as organizations, civic leaders, housing practitioners, employers, and residents from across Illinois to express our strong support for Governor JB Pritzker's Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) plan. Illinois families in every region are facing rising housing costs, limited options, and increasing pressure on household budgets. Too many workers cannot afford to live near jobs. Too many seniors cannot downsize in their own communities. Too many young families are priced out before they can put down roots.

BUILD is a practical response to this statewide challenge. It aims to expand housing supply, legalize more attainable housing types, and reduce unnecessary barriers that prevent homes from being built. These are not abstract reforms. They are the basic tools Illinois needs to produce homes people can actually afford.

We support policies that allow missing-middle housing, expand opportunities for accessory dwelling units, and create more predictable approval pathways. We need to build 227,000 new homes over the next five years to keep pace with demand; we’ll only accomplish this if we work together to that end. Illinois cannot solve a statewide housing shortage one variance at a time.

We also recognize municipal concerns about infrastructure, administration, and implementation capacity. Those concerns are real, and they are best addressed by clear standards, transparent timelines, and technical support, not by preserving rules that prevent homes from being built. A stronger statewide housing framework will help communities plan proactively, reduce uncertainty for residents and builders, and align housing growth with economic development goals. These reforms will help teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and students find stable homes in every region.

We respectfully urge you to support and advance BUILD legislation during this session. Passing these reforms will strengthen local economies, improve affordability, and help ensure that Illinois is a place where people of all incomes can live, work, and thrive.

Sincerely,
The Abundant Illinois Coalition

Coalition Supporters

Abundant Housing Illinois CUrbanism Club Elevated Chicago Housing Action Illinois Illinois Housing Council Illinois REALTORS Impact for Equity Metropolitan Planning Council Strong Towns BloNo Strong Towns Chicago YIMBY Illinois

"For the past six years, our members have been the leading voice at the Capitol and in local city and village halls advocating for common-sense solutions to our state's housing crisis. We are pleased to see the governor embrace the roadmap we have proposed - specifically the expansion of ADUs and zoning flexibility for 'missing middle' housing."
Jeff Baker, CEO of Illinois REALTORS

Myths and Reality

Myth: More homes do not improve affordability.

Reality: Expanding supply across housing types is a core strategy for reducing long-term cost pressure.

Myth: Housing reforms only benefit large developers.

Reality: Missing-middle and ADU pathways create opportunities for homeowners, nonprofits, and small builders.

Myth: Predictable standards prevent local planning.

Reality: A clear statewide baseline can coexist with local implementation and infrastructure planning.

Myth: Incremental infill creates unmanaged growth.

Reality: Transparent rules reduce uncertainty and support better long-range planning outcomes.

BUILD Plan Introduction

From Gov. Pritzker's State of the State address.