CHICAGO, Ill. (IRN) — A state lawmaker argues the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act he proposes is not a ban and will not include many counties, but an assistant state’s attorney says the new measure would apply to counties. 

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, maintains the position that his bill would only apply to major cities in Illinois, despite language in the bill saying the ban would apply to counties who have adopted zoning regulations.

“This is an introduced bill, I believe in the power of the legislative process,” Buckner told The Center Square. “If there are changes we have to make to make it clear, we will do that, but the legislative intent is [for House Bill 4795] to only apply to Illinois’ eight largest cities.”  

He said proponents of the bill don’t think the measure goes far enough. 

“We have so-called ‘Twin Cities’ in Chicago and in places like Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana … by themselves they don’t meet that 100,000 threshold,” Buckner said. “I may change that. The spirit of this bill focuses on Illinois’ largest cities. That’s for a reason because what is true for Rockford may not be true for Le Roy or Mahomet.” 

However, Trevor Sierra, an assistant state’s attorney from McLean County, said the bill will apply to McLean County and other counties with similar populations.

“It’s usually smaller counties that do not feel the need to impose a zoning ordinance, but Peoria County, Champaign County … they all fall within the jurisdiction of this legislation,” Sierra said.  

Buckner said his bill is not a ban, despite the bill being called the “Single-Family Zoning Ban Act.” 

“The bill does not ban single family homes or single family zoning at all. What it does: if a parcel is zoned for single family, it cannot be zoned for single family only. It gives the zoning unit the ability to look at other options,” he said. 

Buckner said the bill is intended to increase density for underdeveloped areas in places like Chicago. When the density increases, he said more affordability is created. 

“We’re not building. I don’t think we have taken a proactive look at how we not just grow places like Chicago but places like Springfield, where there’s so much opportunity,” said Buckner. “The best way to fix Illinois’ financial issues … we need more people here.” 

Buckner also addressed questions about whether such housing would be used for the over 30,000 migrants that have arrived to Chicago from border states like Texas since 2022.

“Before the asylum seekers made their way up from Texas, we had a housing crisis in my district. We had 65,000 unhoused people in Chicago, and this is not about the immigration issue,” said Buckner. “This is about housing folks in Illinois. This is about growing the state.”

Recent annual U.S. Census estimates show the state experienced a decade of declining population. For 2023, the U.S. Census shows Illinois lost an additional 32,800 for the year ending July 1, 2023.

“We talk a lot about population loss, now there are varying stats about whether or not we gained people or lost people, but what I have been clear about is that if Illinois is going to move past its debt issues and economic issues we have to welcome more people,” Buckner said.

Buckner contends his measure addresses government overreach. 

“Literally what the current status quo is in these eight cities is that the government tells you, a private landowner, what you cannot do,” said Buckner. 

In the legislation, zoning units that have over 100,000 in population have to implement the change by June 1, 2025. There are about 20 counties in Illinois that have population sizes that meet or exceed the 100,000 threshold. 

Sierra said if this bill would become law it would be a big change in McLean County. The Land Use Committee and the county board would have to meet and consider how they want to respond to the legislation, he said. 

“If the legislation is valid, legal legislation then we would consider an amendment to our zoning ordinance,” said Sierra. 

By CATRINA PETERSON for the Illinois Radio Network