House Bill 4571, which would give DuPage County new authority to invest in housing for middle-income residents, was sent to Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday, June 26, according to Illinois General Assembly records.

DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy announced the bill's Senate passage at the Tuesday, June 9 board meeting, calling it "very much a team effort."

"House Bill 4571 allows DuPage County to set up a program addressing attainable housing and the missing middle," Conroy told the board.

The bill passed the Illinois Senate 44-14 on May 31, after clearing the House 76-33 on April 14. It now sits on the Governor's desk. If Pritzker does not sign or veto by Monday, Aug. 25, the bill becomes law automatically.

What the bill does

HB 4571 amends the Illinois Counties Code to let DuPage and Will counties spend county dollars on affordable and "missing middle" housing. That includes acquiring land, incentivizing development, and investing in infrastructure. The enrolled version covers households earning up to 140% of the area median income, down from the 150% threshold in the original draft.

For context: DuPage County's median household income was approximately $112,096, with a median home value of $391,400, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

The "missing middle" refers to households earning too much to qualify for government housing assistance but struggling to afford market-rate housing locally.

Sponsors

State Rep. Marti Deuter (D-District 45) introduced the bill on Jan. 23. Sen. Laura Ellman (D) served as chief Senate sponsor. The bill drew heavily partisan sponsorship overall, with 18 Democrats and one Republican signing on as co-sponsors across both chambers.

Conroy credited DuPage County Government Affairs Coordinator Kate Kissane for shepherding the legislation through Springfield.

Broader context

The bill's passage stands out because Gov. Pritzker's broader BUILD Illinois proposal, which would have allowed multiunit housing on single-family lots statewide, failed during the same spring session. Illinois faces a shortage of roughly 142,000 housing units, according to a joint study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Housing Action Illinois has publicly urged Pritzker to sign HB 4571.

What's next

No county implementation plan has been announced. The Governor has until Aug. 25 to sign or veto the bill. Residents can track the legislation at ilga.gov under HB 4571.