A recent
analysis published by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) explores key housing trends over the last 20 years — including the number of new housing units, diversity of housing types, and volume of building permits. The housing growth patterns have mixed implications for communities. This article includes a snapshot of the analysis findings.
Production of housing in northeastern Illinois has increased by about 14 percent over the last two decades (most of that growth occurred prior to 2010). The number of households in the region grew at a similar rate, increasing 12 percent since 2000.
Overall, the region has added about 418,600 housing units and roughly 340,000 households.
From 2000 to 2007, between 21,000 and 36,500 housing starts were recorded each year in the region. By 2010, housing starts had dropped to 2,300. They have since only returned to about 5,000 (2020), nowhere near pre-recession levels (see chart below).