Suburban communities in Illinois are failing to meet the requirements set out for them in a 22-year-old law aimed at increasing the state’s affordable housing supply.

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act in 2003 to “address the shortage of affordable, accessible, safe, and sanitary housing,” the law says. It requires eligible municipalities to submit reports to the state every five years, detailing their plans to build more affordable housing units.

A new report found only around a quarter of submissions were compliant, according to Impact for Equity , a nonprofit focused on legal and policy issues in Illinois. All but one of the 44 jurisdictions that need to submit plans are located in the Chicago area.

“The law is … not doing what it need

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