In the Village of Lena, Illinois REALTORS® Government Affairs Director Neeley Erickson and Member Ashley Heilman helped secure and distribute Illinois REALTOR® Relief Foundation funds after devastating storms and tornadoes struck the community in April. The grants are helping residents begin recovering as many families continue navigating displacement, insurance claims, and rebuilding costs.

Illinois REALTORS® advocacy efforts did not stop there. Erickson and REALTOR® Ashley Heilman have urged the Village to allow residents to rebuild homes as they existed before the storm without requiring a lengthy zoning and variance process. In a letter to Lena’s Mayor, Illinois REALTORS® CEO Jeff Baker warned that forcing homeowners through full zoning approvals after a disaster creates unnecessary delays, added costs and prolonged displacement for families already facing hardship.

At the center of the issue is how Lena is interpreting zoning rules for nonconforming structures. REALTORS® argue homeowners should not have to seek special approvals simply to rebuild homes that legally existed before the tornado, particularly when rebuilding would not create new impacts on density, infrastructure, or neighborhood character. This is a violation of private property rights.

Local zoning requirements remain at the center of broader conversations surrounding the BUILD Illinois plan and housing policy discussions across the state. Further constraining property rights has become increasingly common among local governments, and REALTORS® continue raising concerns when those policies create unnecessary barriers to building, stability and long-term investment in communities. The situation in Lena shows that, when unchecked, “local control” can have life-changing consequences.