Rashid Law Expands Access to Affordable Housing

BERWYN, IL. –  Working families will have more access to affordable housing under a new law passed by state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, creating a more comprehensive state and local housing policies.

“Residents should not continue to be priced out of the communities in which they live,” Rashid said. “By increasing the supply of affordable housing benefits and improving the definition of affordability to account for the additional costs homeowners and renters face, we’re improving outcomes for individuals and families, and also strengthening our communities and our economy.”

Rashid’s Senate Bill 1476 strengthens the state’s housing laws to reflect the true costs renters and homeowners face, and expands access to high-quality affordable options. The bill expands the criteria used to define affordable housing to also consider the costs of parking, maintenance, and any landlord-imposed fees.

Under this broader definition, cities and villages must also ensure a larger percentage of overall housing qualifies as “affordable.” Currently, a municipality can only block construction of new affordable housing if they can show 10% of current housing options meet affordability standards. Rashid’s bill increases this percentage to 15%, ensuring broader access to quality housing.

In addition, it amends standards for filing an appeal to the State Housing Appeals Board, and updates composition of the board. The State Housing Appeals Board has had no chairperson for more than two years, and hasn’t met since 2018. This legislation will change that.

“The changes to the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act will make important improvements to the affordable housing planning process,” Rashid said. “This legislation is an important step forward as we aim to meet the need for affordable housing and rental units across our state.”

Senate Bill 1476 was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday.