SPRINGFIELD — By collecting data on the need for more affordable housing options, State Senator Graciela Guzmán joined the initiative to incentivize government agencies and organizations to invest and support affordable housing projects throughout the state.

“If you ask everyday Illinoisians, they will tell you one of their biggest concerns is the rising cost of housing. Working people desperately need more affordable housing options,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “To ensure we can pass policies to address this need, we must have data to reflect the demand and the available inventory of affordable housing available for sale or for rent in low-income and middle-income households in each local government in Illinois.”

Illinois has passed legislation addressing housing insecurity by prioritizing the needs of the state’s most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has implemented a multi-year strategy, Home Illinois, to strive towards functional zero homelessness statewide. Additionally, the Illinois Housing Development Authority finances and encourages the growth and preservation of affordable housing for renters at 80% of the area median income and below. These measures have worked to prevent some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans from experiencing homelessness. 

However, folks earning between 80% and 140% of the area median income are often overlooked. Still facing a lack of reasonably priced housing, middle-income earners are pushed into the affordable housing market, making it less accessible for them and folks with even lower incomes. 

House Bill 3616, led in the House by Rep. Will Guzzardi, aims to illuminate the demand for affordable housing and the lack of housing inventory that middle-income earners are facing. It would require IHDA to collect data on the available inventory of affordable housing in each local government in Illinois available for sale or for rent to extremely low-income and middle-income households. Every five years, IHDA would be required to publish the data collected, make the data available to the public, and report the data to the General Assembly. From there, it may be used to influence policy to invest in more development of affordable housing options. 

“The fight for affordable housing is personal, from my status as a renter with roommates, to the wide range of experiences across my district and state. I look forward to building on this bill as a foundational step to address Illinois's critical need for affordable housing, as we use the findings we glean from the data to address our need for housing solutions.”   

House Bill 3616 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. 

###