Housing

In a memo to the council, city staff says Bloomington will still lack sufficient shelter capacity this winter even with the addition of the shelter village that's under construction near Home Sweet Home Ministries. That’s expected to open in December.

The first tenants have already moved in at Carden Springs, a new and sizable apartment and townhome development in north Normal aimed squarely at McLean County’s housing shortage.

The Normal Town Council has reviewed elements of a new strategic plan and approved changes to the Enterprise Zone that would offer development incentives in portions of Bloomington-Normal, including Bloomington's under-performing Eastland Mall.

Under the 2023 Electric Vehicle Charging Act, newly built houses are required to include EV-capable infrastructure. State Sen. Sally Turner, a Republican from Logan County, sponsored a bill that lifts that requirement for nonprofits who are building homes for at-risk veterans. She said the requirement drives up construction costs.

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.

The leaders of the Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust say they've made lots of progress since forming two years ago. They plan to buy and at least begin rehabbing their first home sometime in 2026.

The number of homeless people in Illinois is rising, but the state’s spending on homeless prevention and other housing programs is headed in the other direction.

Researchers found that rising incomes, employment growth and higher rates of homeownership have increased demand for housing.

Home Sweet Home Ministries is collecting public input on its proposed shelter village, The Bridge, through two public forums. The next one is Monday night at Bloomington Public Library.

Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe thinks it's worth paying the redeveloper of the downtown State Farm building a bundle over the next two-plus decades to get the project completed.