By enforcing this ban, the bill seeks to address housing shortages and increase the availability of affordable housing. The Illinois Housing Development Authority is tasked with developing a model ordinance to assist zoning units in complying with the new regulations, ultimately standardizing middle housing across the state. Local authorities must adopt new zoning ordinances and maps consistent with the act by the specified deadlines, indicating a significant shift towards densifying urban housing while allowing for local control and flexibility in the adoption process.
Summary
House Bill 4795, known as the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act, aims to reform zoning regulations across Illinois by prohibiting zoning units from designating areas solely for single-family residential use in certain population brackets. The bill targets zoning units with populations between 100,000 and 500,000 effective June 1, 2025, and those with populations over 500,000 from June 1, 2026. The legislation mandates that middle housing—encompassing duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and cottage clusters—be allowed in residentially zoned areas. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the need for diverse housing options to accommodate population growth and demand in urban centers.
Contention
This bill has sparked important discussions around local governance and housing policy. Proponents argue that removing single-family zoning restrictions will lead to increased housing supply, stabilization of housing costs, and enhanced community diversity. Critics, however, express concerns about the potential for overreach into local governance and the loss of home rule powers, fearing that mandatory adoption of middle housing could lead to development that undermines neighborhood character. The balance between providing adequate affordable housing and preserving local control will continue to be a point of debate as municipalities adapt to these new requirements.
Adds the process of permitting the construction of attached single-family dwellings in identified zoning districts as a factor that zoning ordinances must address.
Requires cities and towns to permit attached single-family dwellings in any residential zoning districts and each such dwelling would be entitled to its own parcel thorough subdivision regardless lot size or base zone standards.