SPRINGFIELD — As their community faces exponentially rising costs of living and gentrification, State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Will Guzzardi have developed legislation to collect data on the lack of more affordable housing options, inspiring agencies and organizations to invest in developing more affordable housing.

“Illinois has developed several programs to prevent homelessness and support the most vulnerable in our communities, but there is a gap in support for people who make slightly more, but still struggle to afford to live in their neighborhoods,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Our initiative will demonstrate how great the need for more affordable housing is, taking the first step for us to address this issue and get working folks in reasonably priced living situations.” 

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 reach 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 affordable housing less accessible for them and those earning less.

House Bill 3616 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 affordable 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 cost of renting an apartment and owning a home are rising at an outrageous rate, leaving
many working families are at risk of losing their already unstable, unaffordable housing,” said State Representative Will Guzzardi, the sponsor of House Bill 3616 in the House of Representatives.  “By expanding the data we have on affordable housing units and who is occupying them, we can better address the 'missing middle' of individuals who make above a certain income threshold but still require affordable housing that doesn't take away from the stock for those earning less. I am proud to work with Sen. Guzmán on legislation to help address this issue by clarifying where our affordable units are and who they are affordable for. This data is critical to informing our broader efforts to keep housing affordable and build new housing where the market has priced out long-term residents of our communities."

House Bill 3616 passed the Senate on Thursday. It now goes to the governor’s desk.