Affordable Housing

Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing for statewide zoning changes to spark housing construction. Not everyone is jazzed about the proposal though.

Leaders of Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington and Hope on 5th in Lincoln shared stories about housing shelters during Tuesday's Women to Women Spring Forum at the Bloomington Public Library.

Single-family housing starts grew in Normal last year by nearly 49% — though the total number only reached 55.

Sharee Conely applied for the Habitat for Humanity program in 2022 and waited two years before being selected. She said her motivation to stay the course was her children.

Oak Wood's move into Bloomington-Normal is part of a nationwide trend toward consolidation in manufactured home park ownership, often led by private equity acquisitions. Oak Wood even got help from Freddie Mac, a government entity that is supposed to help make housing more, not less, affordable.

For decades, mobile homes were one of the most affordable housing options in Bloomington-Normal, especially for those with low or fixed incomes. Oak Wood’s arrival in the market has changed that. Oak Wood has again and again squeezed more money from its residents.

Households in Normal could soon be allowed to have a maximum limit of one more pet, if an ordinance change is approved by the town council on Monday.

The Bloomington City Council adopted code text amendments pertaining to downtown development and multi-family residential districts, while acknowledging receipt of the "missing middle" housing analysis report from Opticos Design, Inc.

Bloomington city leaders continue to explore potential plans and opportunities to address the “missing middle” portion of the city’s housing shortage, as the administration seeks guidance on potential zoning and subdivision code changes.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood is voicing full-throated support for the massive Republican tax and spending bill, despite past opposition to Medicaid cuts and concern over the mounting federal budget deficit. LaHood represents parts of Bloomington-Normal.