Welcome to Tri-Cities Central, a twice-weekly newsletter highlighting local happenings in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and surrounding communities.
Get yours: subscribe here. Refer a friend: share this link.
A state senator whose district includes Geneva and St. Charles has introduced legislation that aims to address Illinois' housing affordability challenges without giving Springfield authority over local zoning decisions.
Sen. Don DeWitte (R-33rd) filed Senate Bill 4200 last week, which he's calling the REAL Housing Act — short for Reducing Expenses and Advancing Local. The bill lands as Batavia officials have spent months discussing Gov. Pritzker's BUILD plan, and as Mayor Jeff Schielke has warned that developers are already walking Batavia neighborhoods anticipating the BUILD bill's passage.
Here's what to know:
The primary difference: DeWitte's bill states that no municipality or county is required to approve any development, change any zoning code, reduce parking requirements, or adopt housing policies dictated by Springfield. That’s a direct counter to the BUILD plan, which would allow up to eight-unit buildings on most residential lots by right and cap parking requirements across the state.
Incentives over mandates: According to DeWitte, the REAL Housing Act would create a voluntary Middle Housing Incentive Program that “allows municipalities and counties to opt in if they choose to support housing options such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and accessory dwelling units.”
On the cost side: The bill would create a state sales tax exemption on building materials used in qualifying residential developments and allow local governments to direct additional Local Government Distributive Fund revenue above a certain threshold toward property tax relief for residents.
Who helped write it: DeWitte developed the proposal alongside the Illinois Municipal League, which represents roughly 1,300 municipalities across the state. DeWitte says the bill also includes workforce development components tied to housing construction through community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs.
DeWitte filed the bill as Batavia officials have described a climate of growing urgency, with at least one of them describing the BUILD plan as "signature legislation for the governor" unlikely to go away.
Tri-Cities Central has covered the BUILD plan since it was first announced. Both SB 4200 and the BUILD plan are still working through the Illinois General Assembly.
📖 Thanks for reading
Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.
Not signed up yet? Subscribe here.