To BUILD or not to BUILD: Pritzker’s Plan Faces Uncertain Future.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature housing plan is heading back to the drawing board.

The sweeping Building Up Illinois Developments proposal, or BUILD, was contentious among local politicians and developers. The initial plan would’ve instituted statewide zoning standards for new housing developments, eased residential density restrictions and minimum lot sizes, among other reforms, all aimed at solving the state’s housing shortage.

Municipal leaders took umbrage with the potential loss of local control over density requirements, what gets built and where it can be built.

Ultimately, the proposal died on the vine, without the support needed to take a vote, though it won’t be the end of the legislation, according to the Daily Herald.

“I expect we will continue considering various components of the BUILD act and other ideas to address the state’s housing shortage for the foreseeable future,” Democratic state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove told the outlet. He added that massive legislative proposals like the act typically don’t immediately pass, they need to be revised and debated.

Not every politician is enthusiastic about the legislation potentially returning. Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills, who has been a critic of the legislation in the past, told the publication that “bad ideas don’t ever die,” noting the bill package’s lack of support across the aisle as well.

Pritzker’s plan might not have been popular among municipal authorities, but it garnered support from the real estate industry. Illinois Realtors advocated for the series of bills, and the trade association has been looking for ways to ease zoning restrictions and slash red tape for years.

Whether it’s the BUILD proposal or a different package, there will be some legislative movement on housing sooner rather than later. In 2025, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found that the state was 142,000 housing units behind based on current demand. Illinois needs to build 227,000 units to keep up according to the study.

— Hunter Cooke