Housing

Creates the Illinois Condominium Governance and Transparency Task Force to study the transparency, financial integrity, and safe living conditions of residents of condominiums and common interest community associations.

Creates the Illinois Veterans Homes Expansion Task Force to study the need for the expansion of high-quality, specialized, and affordable long-term care for aged and disabled veterans through the Illinois Veterans Homes system.

Amends the Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act. Prohibits a park owner from increasing rent more than 3% per year. Provides that a park owner may adjust rent annually, beginning in 2027, to reflect a percentage equal to the percentage change in the consumer price index-u during the preceding 12-month calendar year that may not be more than a 5% increase in the 3% cap. Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Mobile Home Tenant Protection Act.

HB 4841 permanently extends a 50% tax credit for Illinois taxpayers who donate to affordable housing projects under the Illinois Housing Development Act. It directly affects donors - such as individuals, businesses, and investors - who contribute to qualifying housing developments. The bill removes the previous expiration date (December 31, 2026), making the credit permanent and effective immediately. Taxpayers can apply the credit against state income tax, carry forward excess credits for up to five years, and transfer the credit to eligible projects or other donors.

Creates the Housing Equity, Affordability, and Development Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall collect a fee from landlords with more than 5 units in an amount equal to 5% of the difference between their monthly rental income for a unit and $1,200, unless the rental income for the unit is less than $1,200, to be paid into the Housing Equity, Affordability, and Development Fund. The Illinois Housing Development Authority shall create a program under the Act to assist in home purchases for households whose tenant payments to the landlord have been more than 30% of their income for a period of 12 calendar months, and whose income is less than 3.33 times the median rent for their metropolitan area; or if the household does not live in a metropolitan area, 3.33 times the median rent in the closest metropolitan area. Provides that assistance shall be limited to $15,000 per household.

Amends the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act. Prohibits the State or a unit of local government from creating or enforcing policies or ordinances imposing fines or criminal penalties against people experiencing unsheltered homelessness for occupying or engaging in life-sustaining activities on public property. Provides exceptions to maintain access to property or address risks to public health and safety. Creates a necessity defense for charges alleging violation of laws criminalizing life-sustaining activities while the individual was experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Defines terms. Limits the exercise of concurrent home rule powers.

Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. In provisions requiring the Illinois Housing Development Authority to determine which local governments are exempt from the requirements of the Act, requires the Authority to collect data on owner-occupied and rental units for each local government as follows: (1) by totaling the number of owner-occupied housing units in each local government that are affordable to households with a gross household income that is less than 80% of the median household income and is between 80% and 140% of the median household income within the county or primary metropolitan statistical area; and (2) by totaling the number of rental units in each local government that are affordable to households with a gross household income that is less than 60% of the median household income and is between 80% and 140% of the median household income within the county or primary metropolitan statistical area. Provides that data collected for the 80% AMI to 140% AMI households is to be used for informational purposes and shall not factor into the determination of exempt local governments.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a county opting out of the special assessment programs to reduce the assessed value of certain residential real property shall not disqualify or shorten the maximum eligibility periods for any property approved to receive a reduced valuation prior to the county opting out. Requires that the special assessment programs be available to all qualifying residential real property regardless of whether or not the property has or is currently receiving any other public financing or subsidies or subject to any regulatory agreements with any public entity, or both. If an owner is approved for the reduced valuation prior to December 31, 2037 and the provisions are not subsequently extended, this shall not disqualify or shorten the maximum eligibility periods for any property approved to receive a reduced valuation. Provides that, if the chief county assessment officer has not created application forms, the chief county assessment officer shall make publicly available and accept applications forms that shall be available to local governments from the Illinois Department of Revenue. If a county Internet website exists, the application materials, as well as any other program requirements used by the county (such as application deadlines, fees, and other procedures required by the application) must be published on that website, otherwise it must be available to the public upon request at the office of the chief county assessment officer. On an annual basis, requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority to calculate and make available on its website the minimum per square foot expenditure requirements to be applicable statewide to be eligible for the reduced valuation, which shall include the historical annual expenditure requirements starting with calendar year 2021. Changes reference to improvements to existing residential real property to substantially rehabilitated residential real property. Makes other changes.

Creates the Community Land Trust Home Ownership Act. Provides that the Illinois Housing Development Authority's homeownership programs, including loan products, grants, and other types of assistance, shall be made available to home buyers and owners seeking to purchase or maintain housing where a leasehold interest in real property is held by a community land trust or other 501(c)(3) organization for the purposes of promoting long-term affordability, preservation of affordable housing, or community revitalization efforts. Provides that any other type of seller, including for-profit or private sellers of homes, through leasehold agreements, such as installment contracts, contract for deeds, or any other type of purchase or ownership structure, shall not be eligible under the amendatory Act. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority, within 90 days after the effective date of the Act, to propose new or amended administrative rules that will make the Authority's homeownership programs consistent with the purposes of the Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Hospitals and Homelessness Support Act. Requires the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness within the Department of Human Services to maintain on its publicly accessible website information on how a hospital or healthcare system may connect a patient experiencing homelessness or otherwise in a vulnerable housing situation with shelter and homeless support services for each continuum of care in the State. Requires the Department to ensure that the information required includes, for each continuum of care, any phone number, email address, physical address, primary agencies, or any other information that may be necessary for a person in that continuum of care territory to begin accessing shelter or other homelessness services. Requires the Department to include, where possible, a specific phone number that a hospital or health care facility may call and specific language to use. Requires the Department to also include on its website a way for the hospital or healthcare system to determine which continuum of care applies based on the physical location of the hospital or healthcare system. Requires other information, all of which must be added to the Department's website by October 31, 2025. Contains provisions concerning annual audits.