DuPage legislative committee hears spring session 'wins,' including local control for missing-middle housing

Chip, a lobbyist who addressed the DuPage County legislative committee, told members the spring general assembly was unusually compressed and backloaded, saying the legislature "basically ran a whole session in two weeks" and that the assembly adjourned around 4:30 a.m. on June 1.

He described the session outcome as a balanced budget that—among difficult trade-offs—included a reappropriation of DuPage County capital projects. "The biggest win in that budget was this reappropriation of DuPage's capital projects," he said, adding that county staff and lobbyists will be ready to press for any new capital when supplemental appropriations are considered in veto session or lame-duck days.

Chip also flagged House Bill 4571, which he said "authorizes DuPage and Will County the ability to stand up a missing middle" housing program. He emphasized it is permissive and locally controlled, contrasting it with what he described as the governor's BUILD Act: "It is completely and utterly permissive," Chip said, adding that counties would set the rules and that the bill had been sent to the governor's desk.

Committee members pressed for details about how state budget items could be paired with local initiatives. One member noted the state budget (referred to as HB111 during the meeting) includes a proposed $50 million for first-time homebuyers; staff and members discussed using county funds to "piggyback" and to pilot an IDA-linked program where banks handle eligibility and paperwork and the county would provide upfront funds.

Why it matters: the session's timing—and the way major items were bundled late—affects the county's ability to plan and secure capital or program dollars. The permissive nature of HB4571 means DuPage will have to design local ordinances and programs if it chooses to expand missing-middle housing.