Partners to include mayors, county leaders, and other housing stakeholders to remove barriers to homebuilding and expand housing opportunities
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois REALTORS® is launching a partnership program with local government and other community leaders to help those communities confront their housing shortage head-on to accelerate the development of new homes.
Through the Illinois Housing Supply Accelerator Program, Illinois REALTORS® governmental affairs directors will work directly with mayors, county leaders, planners, local officials, and housing stakeholders to identify and remove local barriers that can delay or prevent housing construction. The initiative is designed to turn ever-growing concerns over housing supply into concrete local action.
The program comes as communities across Illinois face increasing pressure to provide housing that is attainable for residents to support economic growth, attract workers and strengthen local economies. Illinois REALTORS® has worked for decades with mayors and other local officials on housing policy. The accelerator program represents an expansion of that role in addressing the state’s housing challenges, using the association’s statewide government affairs network to work directly with local governments.
“The housing shortage is worsening every day, and communities need tools they can use now,” said Illinois REALTORS® CEO Jeff Baker. “We are providing our expertise and our local relationships directly to communities to help them identify the barriers standing in the way of housing and to take meaningful steps to remove them. This is about moving from recognizing the problem to getting homes built.”
The Illinois Housing Supply Accelerator Program will bring local decision-makers and housing stakeholders together to examine the policies and practices that affect housing production, including zoning ordinances, development regulations, and other local requirements. Each community will identify its own priorities and pursue solutions tailored to its housing market, with specific actions, timelines, and measurable progress.
Illinois REALTORS® will work alongside communities to develop solutions that reflect local conditions and can be put into action, almost immediately in some instances.
“We’ve seen momentum building at the federal level, and we’ve seen state leaders recognize the severity of this supply crisis,” said Illinois REALTORS® President Jeff Kolbus. “Now, the battleground is local. Mayors are asking for help, developers are ready to build, and this program delivers the exact blueprint and leverage needed to turn policy intent into actual homes.”
Municipal leaders and community stakeholders interested in partnering with the initiative can learn more at www.IllinoisRealtors.org/accelerator
