Evanston Action Coalition

05/30/2026

Evanston Action Coalition has filed formal opposition to SB 635.

On May 29, EAC submitted an opponent witness slip and written statement to the Illinois Senate Executive Committee opposing SB 635, a bill that would create a special statewide by-right approval pathway for dense multifamily and mixed-use development on faith-based property.

Faith-based organizations can be important partners in addressing housing needs. But SB 635 goes much further by limiting local zoning authority, reducing public review, and overriding local decision-making on land-use questions that affect infrastructure, stormwater, traffic, public safety, historic resources, and the built environment.

Illinois can support housing affordability without broadly preempting municipal zoning authority or removing residents, elected officials, plan commissions, preservation bodies, and local staff from meaningful review.

Read the full statement in our newsroom:

Evanston Action Coalition filed an opponent witness slip and written statement opposing SB 635, a statewide faith-based land development bill that would limit local zoning authority, reduce public review, and preempt municipal decision-making.

05/30/2026

Evanston Action Coalition has released a statement on the adoption of Housing4All.

We supported important amendments that added needed guardrails to the plan — including language making clear that Housing4All does not itself approve zoning text amendments, zoning map changes, overlay districts, or increases in by-right development intensity.

We thank Ald. Clare Kelly and Ald. Parielle Davis for proposing important amendments and for opposing final adoption when the plan remained too broad and unresolved.

Nonetheless, while those amendments matter, they do not resolve our fundamental concerns. Housing4All continues to point Evanston toward broad zoning changes, expanded by-right development intensity, and land-use deregulation before the City has completed baseline capacity analysis, preservation review, geographic targeting, or neighborhood-level impact review.

Evanston’s historic built environment, lower-intensity single and two-family residential areas (R1, R2, and R3), naturally occurring affordable housing, tree-lined blocks, older homes, two-flats, courtyard buildings, coach houses, and small-scale multifamily buildings are not obstacles to housing policy. They are part of the city’s housing infrastructure, environmental sustainability, architectural inheritance, and civic identity.

The zoning debate is not over. Future proposals must stand on their own merits, with full public process, clear affordability objectives, preservation review, and final accountability resting with the elected City Council.

Read the full statement in our newsroom.

Evanston Action Coalition supported important Housing4All amendments but opposed final adoption, citing concerns about broad zoning changes, expanded by-right development intensity, lower-intensity residential areas, historic preservation, and insufficient baseline analysis before future land-use ch

05/29/2026

URGENT: BUILD is back — and the clock is running out.

The BUILD housing package has resurfaced in Springfield through new late-session bills, and the Illinois Senate is scheduled to adjourn May 31.

According to the Illinois Municipal League, these bills were filed Friday and received a Tuesday afternoon hearing with little notice. The hearing ran from after 4 PM until after 8 PM and covered multiple bills.

Now the fight moves to the Senate floor.

Illinoisans should act tonight:

Tell your State Senator to vote NO on SB640, SB643, and SB635.

These bills would eviscerate local authority over zoning, permitting, inspections, land-use review, and by-right development approvals.

SB640 — statewide middle-housing zoning mandates for 6-units on R1 single-family parcels
SB643 — third-party inspections and review mandates
SB635 — by-right multi-unit development pathway for "faith-based land"

This is not just about one community. It is about whether local residents, elected councils, and municipal governments retain meaningful authority over land-use decisions.

Write your senator now: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent-tell-senators-no-on-sb640-sb643-and-sb635/

Then share this post with neighbors, friends, civic groups, and anyone concerned about home rule and local accountability.

The final days of session are here. Please act tonight.

BUILD is back in Springfield — this time through late-session shell bills. The original BUILD bills appeared stalled, but key pieces of the package have now resurfaced in SB640, SB643, and SB635. These bills could move quickly in the Illinois Senate before adjournment. Even if you contacted legisl...

05/28/2026

URGENT: Tell Illinois Senators NO on SB640, SB643, and SB635

BUILD is back in Springfield — this time through late-session shell bills that could move quickly before adjournment.

These bills would limit local authority over zoning, permitting, inspections, land-use review, and home rule decision-making.

SB640 would impose statewide middle-housing mandates and turn most single-family lots into 4-to-6-unit entitlement sites by state mandate.

SB643 would interfere with local building-plan review and inspections by imposing statewide timelines and allowing third-party reviewers when municipalities miss deadlines.

SB635 would create a special by-right development pathway for qualifying faith-based land.

Even if you contacted legislators about BUILD before, please act again. The bill numbers have changed, and the threat is now in the Senate.

Tell your Illinois State Senator to vote NO on SB640, SB643, and SB635.

Take action here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent-tell-senators-no-on-sb640-sb643-and-sb635?

BUILD is back in Springfield — this time through late-session shell bills. The original BUILD bills appeared stalled, but key pieces of the package have now resurfaced in SB640, SB643, and SB635. These bills could move quickly in the Illinois Senate before adjournment. Even if you contacted legisl...

05/11/2026

City Council votes tonight on Housing4All and proposed amendments.

Evanston can support housing action while also requiring anti-displacement protections, public process, Council oversight, and data-driven review before major zoning changes.

If you have not already done so, please take a moment before tonight’s meeting to ask Council to support responsible Housing4All amendments.

Use our link below –

This Monday, Evanston City Council will consider proposed amendments to Housing4All These amendments would strengthen the plan by adding clear safeguards: anti-displacement protections, preservation of existing affordable housing, public reporting, targeted implementation, and Council oversight befo...

05/09/2026

Housing4All returns to City Council on Monday with proposed amendments.

These amendments would add important safeguards by:

• clarifying that Housing4All does not automatically approve zoning changes
• requiring separate public review and Council approval for future land-use changes
• prioritizing anti-displacement protections
• preserving existing affordable housing and naturally occurring affordable housing
• addressing long-term homeowner displacement and property tax pressure
• requiring data and impact analysis before major zoning changes
• evaluating targeted geographies before broader citywide applicability

These are reasonable safeguards. They do not reject housing action — they make the plan stronger, more transparent, and more accountable.

Please send a message asking Council to support responsible Housing4All amendments before Monday’s vote:

This Monday, Evanston City Council will consider proposed amendments to Housing4All These amendments would strengthen the plan by adding clear safeguards: anti-displacement protections, preservation of existing affordable housing, public reporting, targeted implementation, and Council oversight befo...

05/09/2026

The BUILD bills are not just an Evanston issue.

Residents from Evanston, Naperville, Wilmette, Aurora, Crystal Lake, Glenview, Plainfield, Chicago, Skokie, and beyond have already taken action.

This campaign reflects growing statewide concern about zoning preemption and the loss of local decision-making.

Please help us spread the word so friends and neighbors across Illinois understand the potential changes — and know what they can do as citizens to speak up.

If you haven’t sent a letter yet, now is the time: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-springfield-oppose-the-build-package-and-protect-local-decision-making/

05/03/2026

The most troubling part of zoning preemption is that it does not actually eliminate or curtail privilege as supporters allege. Instead, it eliminates public process.

Wealthy homeowners will still protect themselves by buying adjacent lots, hiring attorneys, creating CC&Rs, or absorbing market shocks. Large developers will still have consultants, lobbyists, and capital.

Middle-class homeowners, renters in smaller buildings, seniors, first-time buyers, and ordinary residents will be the ones left with fewer tools, less notice, and less say over what happens next door.

This is not 'equitable,' it's not 'affordable,' and the centralization of power certainly isn't 'democratic.'

The BUILD bills would take major zoning decisions away from local communities and replace public process with state mandates for by-right multiunit development. Illinois residents and homeowners deserve housing solutions that are thoughtful, accountable, and locally shaped—not one-size-fits-all preemption that weakens public participation.

Whether you are in Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, or elsewhere in Illinois, please take a few minutes to fill out our letter campaign and tell state leaders: protect local zoning authority, preserve public process, and oppose the BUILD suite of bills.

State lawmakers and Governor JB Pritzker are advancing the BUILD package, a suite of radical bills that would eviscerate local control over zoning and land-use decisions in communities across Illinois. These proposals would make it possible for Springfield to impose one-size-fits-all housing and dev...

04/28/2026

Springfield lawmakers are advancing the BUILD package, a suite of radical legislation that would preempt local zoning and land-use decisions across Illinois.

Housing affordability is a serious issue, but broad state preemption is not a substitute for accountable local planning. Communities need the ability to determine and balance their own housing goals with infrastructure capacity, historic preservation, fiscal impacts, environmental constraints, and the voices of residents.

Evanston Action Coalition has launched a letter campaign urging lawmakers to oppose the BUILD package and protect local decision-making.

Send your letter today using linked email tool. It works all over Illinois, so please also like and share with friends and family beyond Evanston!

State lawmakers and Governor JB Pritzker are advancing the BUILD package, a suite of radical bills that would eviscerate local control over zoning and land-use decisions in communities across Illinois. These proposals would make it possible for Springfield to impose one-size-fits-all housing and dev...

04/24/2026

Thousands of Illinois residents spoke out.

At yesterday’s Illinois Senate Executive Committee hearing on the BUILD Initiative housing package, opponents filed 2,567 witness slips, outnumbering 2,502 proponents.

Evanston Action Coalition was proud to submit formal written testimony for the record opposing state zoning preemption and urging lawmakers to protect local decision-making.

Read our written testimony filed with the Senate Executive Committee in our newsroom.

Strong communities. Local solutions.

Evanston Action Coalition has filed formal opposition to Illinois’ BUILD housing package, urging lawmakers to preserve local zoning authority, protect historic communities, and reject one-size-fits-all state mandates.