Springfield Showdown: Pritzker’s $250 Million Housing Plan Faces Local Control Fight Before Session Ends

The Clock Is Ticking on Illinois’ Most Contentious Housing Debate

A housing plan from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is facing stiff resistance in Springfield, and time is running out. The legislative session ends May 31, and the battle over who controls what gets built in Illinois neighborhoods has become one of the defining fights of the 2026 session.

Pritzker’s BUILD plan, formally known as Building Up Illinois Developments, consists of at least five bills aimed at expanding housing supply and affordability. The centerpiece, House Bill 5626, would create a statewide zoning law that limits the authority of local governments to control what types of housing structures can be built on land zoned residential.

What the Plan Would Change

The BUILD package would relax restrictions on multi-unit housing development. It would allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, commonly called "granny flats." The legislation also includes a provision to provide financial help for first-time home buyers.

According to Capitol News Illinois, the plan would "drastically limit the authority of local governments to control what types of housing structures can be built on land that’s zoned residential."

Pritzker has said the plan includes $250 million to spur development and help people afford housing. He has told reporters that most of the BUILD plan would not cost taxpayers anything beyond that amount.

"The reality is that there is still all of the local control about the height restrictions, about how close the setback could be to this, to the street, all of those other things. The decisions about that get made by local plan commissions and local city councils," Pritzker said during a press event in Chicago earlier this week.

Republicans Say Local Control Is Gone

House Republicans in Springfield are pushing back hard. They argue the plan shifts zoning power from neighborhoods to the state capitol.

State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro, a Republican from Hanover Park, held a press conference at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday to oppose the plan. She said the legislation would take zoning decisions away from local communities and move them to Springfield.

"That means decisions about what gets built in our neighborhoods could be made by politicians who don’t live in or even know our area," Sanalitro said.

Sanalitro said that Addison, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, and Schaumburg are suburbs in her district that have formally opposed the governor’s BUILD plan.

The Hanover Park representative also disputed the plan’s economic benefits. She said the legislation would not lower property taxes or reduce construction costs.

A Pattern of State Override, Critics Say

Opponents are drawing parallels to other recent state actions. State Rep. Jason Bunting, a Republican from Emington, pointed to legislation Pritzker signed in 2023 that removed local control from counties over the siting of wind and solar projects.

"Increasingly, residents of rural areas are seeing a green energy agenda forced on them while the local leaders have their voices silenced," Bunting said.

Bunting said he has filed House Bill 1201, which would return local control to energy project siting decisions.

"Local governments deserve a say in the policies which directly impact their communities," Bunting said.

The Money Question

The debate also touches on broader state funding issues. State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, a Republican from Barrington Hills, said the state has shorted local communities about $1.3 billion in Local Government Distributive Fund revenue from state income taxes.

McLaughlin pointed to the state’s rainy day fund, which he said holds between $2.5 billion and $3 billion.

"I don’t know how much rainier it needs to get in some of these communities like Harvey and others. Let’s restore that money to these communities," McLaughlin said.

Where Things Stand

According to Capitol News Illinois, the BUILD plan measures have only gone for subject matter hearings so far. But with Pritzker’s backing, legislation can move quickly in the final days of a session.

The governor’s campaign is running advertisements to boost support for the BUILD plan. The plan remains one of Pritzker’s top legislative priorities for 2026.

The session ends in five days. Whether the BUILD plan survives the local control fight remains to be seen.

By Daniel Hayes, Illinois State News