Zoning, Permits, and Politics: Why Illinois Housing Costs Keep Rising With Joshua Bandoch

Illinois has become ground zero in America’s housing debate. Families feel squeezed by rising rents and mortgages, developers complain about endless delays and red tape, and policymakers face pressure from every side to “fix” the problem. At the heart of this struggle is a simple but profound question: why is it so difficult to build in Illinois compared to other states? And more importantly, what would it actually take to create real housing abundance?

That’s the conversation we tackle on this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, where I sit down with Josh Bandoch, Senior Policy Advisor at the Illinois Policy Institute and author of the upcoming book How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion. Josh brings a data-driven and candid perspective on housing policy, highlighting how Illinois falls far behind peers like N ...