Elected officials in Illinois are searching for solutions to the state’s ongoing housing challenges, marked by high prices and minimal new construction.

State Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “Metropolitan areas in the 80th House District, you’re looking at Decatur, Bloomington-Normal, all local levels of government are also talking about housing, affordable housing, accessible housing.”

Deering expressed her intent to collaborate with her colleagues to address the issue. “One of my goals in serving is getting all of us around the table to really talk about solutions, you know, what’s worked well, how can we bring together those public-private partnerships,” she added.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker pointed to the slow recovery of Illinois’ housing inventory, noting that supply chain disruptions and construction delays have impacted progress.

“From 2019 to 2024, we experienced a 67% decrease in inventory of homes for sale. At the same time, median list prices in Illinois increased by 26%,” Pritzker said last month.

Illinois’ high property taxes exacerbate the housing burden. The governor noted that nearly one-third of Illinois households allocate 30% or more of their income to housing expenses.

“The official classification calls this ‘burdened by housing costs,’” Pritzker explained.

Affordable housing remains a pressing issue in Chicago and its surrounding areas. A study by Construction Coverage found that newly built homes make up only 5% of home sales in the Chicago metro area, ranking it the 15th-lowest in the nation.

The study also revealed that new homes in Chicago cost 65% more than the average home, compared to a national average premium of 16%.

“Young adults are leaving their communities, the ones they grew up in, because they can’t afford to rent or buy a home,” Pritzker said.

Homeownership trends reflect generational disparities, with Americans aged 35–54 seeing a decline in homeownership rates from 42.3% in 2008 to 34% in 2023. In contrast, those 55 and older experienced an increase from 44.3% to 54% during the same period.

Pritzker recently signed an executive order appointing a housing solutions director to tackle the issue.

“Across every relevant state agency, we will identify and eliminate unnecessary barriers to housing construction,” he said.