Illinois lags other states on approvals for new housing. It has one of the lowest rates for housing approvals in the United States. That drives up costs.
Clean-up efforts for the Democratic National Convention included putting Chicago’s homeless in hotels used as temporary shelters. Though the celebrity-filled week has ended, this affordable housing approach should be expanded.
Rent is unaffordable for half of Chicagoans, averaging $2,200 a month. The key to affordable housing is to build more housing, but that won’t happen until city government reduces its role.
Government in Illinois has a lot to do with why housing costs are so high. Zoning and land-use reforms can boost the supply of affordable housing without forcing taxpayers to subsidize it.
Phoenix, Arizona, established a program to streamline building permits for certain projects. It has seen results. It could help Illinois’ drop in housing permits.
Illinois cities and villages could reduce from months to just days the time it takes to issue permits for new residential and commercial construction. Phoenix saw housing units increase 10% in a decade by cutting costly delays.
Chicago issued permits for about 160 coach houses and granny flats after banning the alternative housing for decades. But restrictions may damage the experiment, especially in areas that most need affordable housing.
Illinois is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. Over a third of residents are considered “burdened” by housing costs, meaning they pay over 30% of their income on costs related to housing. That is a greater portion of residents burdened by housing than any other state in the Midwest. The state fell 113,000...