The proposed amendments would allow greater housing density, eliminate garage mandates and reduce approval hurdles for new developments.
Rockford is one city council vote away from making it easier and less expensive to build housing in the city as Illinois’ supply rebounds slower than the nation’s after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city’s Zoning Board of Appeals this week referred proposed zoning code amendments to a committee for review. That committee will make a recommendation before the city council votes on the amendments, scheduled for Aug. 3.
Among other things, the proposed amendments would make it easier to build multifamily housing in Rockford’s older neighborhoods, where financing projects can be difficult.
The changes would allow duplexes in neighborhoods currently limited to single-family homes and permit vacant lots to be developed with three- or four-unit buildings, not just single-family homes and duplexes.
The plan also would eliminate the enclosed-garage requirement, a change similar to parking reforms adopted in Chicago and at the state level in 2025 that were intended to make housing easier and cheaper to build.
Lastly, the city would reduce red tape by raising the thresholds that trigger Planned Unit Development approval. Under the new proposal, only developments exceeding 150 single-family homes, 60 townhomes or 80 apartments would require the additional review process. That would be up from the current 100 single-family homes, 50 townhomes or 60 apartments.
These changes are part of a 10-year plan to create and preserve 6,000 to 9,000 housing units in the city by reducing barriers and improving affordability in Rockford, where average home prices almost doubled from $95,306 in 2019 to $184,772 in 2026.
The dramatic price increase in the Illinois housing market stems largely from its failure to recover from its severe shortage of homes for sale. All 26 Illinois metro areas that Zillow tracks, including Rockford, have seen their listings shrink since May 2019
With fewer homes on the market, buyers are forced to compete for limited inventory, pushing prices higher.
As Illinois struggles with one of the nation’s weakest housing inventory recoveries, Rockford’s proposed zoning reforms offer one example of how local governments across the state can reduce barriers to expanding the housing supply and improving affordability.
