Illinois' housing crisis is a choice. Let's choose better.

Today, many municipalities ban smaller and even mid-sized homes, whether as detached single-family houses, townhomes, or two and three-flats. The result: fewer new homes overall, and the only new housing that's allowed is the most expensive.

The BUILD plan ensures that more reasonably priced kinds of homes aren't banned entirely, while ensuring local control over design standards and health and safety reviews. Minimum standards adapt based on the size of a community's lots, with single family homes allowed on smaller lots (under 2,500 square feet), four homes allowed on lots up to 5,000 square feet, six up to 7,500 square feet, and eight homes on the largest lots.

These rules encourage small-scale development that provides moderate-cost housing choices for young people, families, and seniors.

Building permits are supposed to recover the cost of reviewing plans and inspecting construction — not act as a hidden tax on new housing. Some Illinois communities charge fees far beyond what it costs to administer the permit, adding thousands of dollars to the price of a new home.

The BUILD plan sets fees to reflect the actual cost of serving new homes. It also:

• Sets standards for the time it takes to review housing permit applications, encouraging faster, more predictable timelines.
• Allows smaller buildings with high fire safety standards to be built with a single set of stairs, leaving more room for multiple bedrooms and family-sized homes.
• Allows builders to provide as much parking as potential buyers and tenants demand, while not requiring them to spend as much as $50,000 or more on parking spaces that will go unused.

These reforms mean red tape doesn't stand in the way of homes for Illinois families.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) — sometimes called in-law suites, granny flats, backyard cottages, or coach houses — are small homes built on the same lot as another home. They are often used by families to keep grandparents, parents, and kids together while ensuring independence and privacy. Unfortunately, many Illinois municipalities use zoning to prohibit their residents from using or building ADUs. The BUILD plan would give this option back to Illinois families.

Illinois needs more homes, but the private market won't meet our housing needs on its own. From down payment assistance to the cost of putting in sewers and utilities to serve new housing, the BUILD plan also calls on the state to invest $250 million to ensure new housing works for Illinois families.