Illinois Newsroom has been covering the struggle to find affordable housing around the state. The lack of funding to build housing for people with low-incomes is one challenge. But city governments can influence where and how housing is built through their zoning rules.

Champaign city leaders have removed a requirement that apartments in the Campustown neighborhood provide parking.  While developers are still expected to provide some space for cars, goals of the ordinance include less cars on campus, a more urban design, and giving developers the freedom to build the structures they want.