Buying or renting a home has become too expensive for too many people, and that needs to change. The reason? Low housing inventory and high demand. In fact, Illinois will need to build 225,000 housing units in the next five years to keep up.  

The problem in most Illinois cities and townships is simple. From overly bureaucratic permitting processes to outdated building codes, many of which have not been reviewed for decades, middle-class homes in Illinois are hard to build. The process can be too expensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, there are a lot of empty lots that cities and townships would be able open up for private development if they got help funding upgrades to water, sewer and stormwater  infrastructure.  

To make homes more affordable and more available for Illinoisans, I proposed the BUILD Plan. It has three pillars: streamline permitting processes that stall home construction, make it easier to repurpose existing structures into living space on  their properties, and make investments to spur home building and support first time homebuyers.  

Pillar number one of the BUILD Plan puts an end to the most burdensome local regulations. We will speed up and encourage builders by standardizing inspection fees and plan review processes. When planning and constructing homes, time is money. When builders don’t know how long it will take to get a decision on their permits or what the cost of the permits are, they often give up on new construction  before they start.  

Pillar number two of the BUILD Plan allows homeowners to convert a garage apartment, a detached garage, or a backyard cottage on their own property into an independent living space. It also allows for more “middle housing” like single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, and quadplexes that enable working-class  professionals like teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers to put down roots in their communities. 

The third and final pillar of the BUILD Plan is a historic capital investment by the state that directs $250 million to fund utility infrastructure extensions and provide support for starter homes and down payment assistance to help more Illinoisans  purchase their first home.  

Some local politicians have expressed concern that cutting red tape means taking  away local control. I want to be clear: the BUILD Plan preserves the ability of cities and villages to maintain their local charm and traditional character. It keeps local  government in control of decision-making about permit approvals but puts a reasonable timeline on it so that home builders don’t give up before they start. The  changes this plan includes are some popular measures to legalize certain types of housing to add a few homes neighborhood by neighborhood, township by township, city by city.  

Today our state has a housing shortage, and the problem will get worse unless we act now. When we implement the BUILD Plan, we will make homeownership more affordable and more available. This will mean more homes, including and especially the affordable “starter homes” that make it possible for young families to ground  themselves in communities and build wealth as homeowners. Local businesses will be able to tap into a well of new workers and new customers as new working families are able to move to town.  

The BUILD Plan is currently working its way through the legislature. They should pass it. When they do, I will sign it, and Illinoisans in Quincy and beyond will reap the benefits. 

JB Pritzker is the governor of Illinois.