(The Center Square) – Without going into details on who is going to pay for the ideas discussed, the Illinois Senate Human Rights Committee held a hearing Tuesday called “Housing as a Human Right.”
State Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said he called for the hearing in an effort to fight for humane, clean and well-kept residential buildings while addressing the strain of increased property taxes in Illinois, the second highest in the nation.
“Housing directly impacts a person’s health, ability to thrive, and generations of families just like my own, so today we aim to address the fact that housing is a human right,” said Simmons.
State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, said without funding from the federal government, the million dollar question is where is the money coming from to pay for housing.
“Without that type of federal funding, how do we move into those areas as a state when we have some tough budgets on hand ourselves,” said Ventura.
Housing has been in the news of late. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed an executive order focusing on increasing the supply of affordable housing in Illinois. It creates a new position in his administration to address housing. The Illinois Director of House Solutions will work with state agencies to implement solutions to increase the number of middle-class homes and rental options across Illinois.
“It’s a problem that takes many forms, has many causes and it requires comprehensive solutions,” said Pritzker. “Illinois needs to quickly and dramatically ramp up our efforts to approve and build new housing and to give more affordable options to working families.”
The governor is also bringing back the SmartBuy program, which offers a 30-year fixed rate first mortgage with $5,000 in deferred down payment and closing cost assistance, and up to $40,000 per household in student loan relief. The program first launched in 2020 with 631 individuals and families buying a new home in the first six months, according to the governor’s office.
“Through SmartBuy, we have seen that this targeted relief can help new buyers overcome this financial burden and secure a home much earlier, allowing for a better opportunity to start building equity,” said Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust in a statement.
