Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) have introduced a set of bills aimed at making homeownership more accessible and affordable in Illinois.
According to the National Association of REALTORS’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, first-time home buyers accounted for only 21 percent of total purchases last year, the lowest on record. The average age for these buyers also reached an all-time high of 40 years.
“There’s nothing quite like turning the key to your very first home,” said Senator Harriss. “Families across the Metro East work hard to build their lives here, but Illinois’ sky-high taxes are making everyday life tougher. It’s easy to campaign on affordability and property tax relief, but too often those promises go unfulfilled. Lowering taxes can be done. I have done it before. This legislative package builds on the progress we have already made and continues my commitment to delivering real, tangible relief for Illinois families.”
Senator Harriss has proposed Senate Bill 3959, known as the Welcome Home Illinois Tax Credit, which would provide a $500 non-refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers that can be carried forward for up to five years.
She pointed out that recent Census Bureau migration estimates show nearly 7,500 people moved from Illinois to Missouri, where average property tax bills are less than half those in Illinois.
To address this disparity, Senate Bill 3781 was introduced by Harriss to make the Illinois Property Tax Credit refundable when filing state income taxes.
“If your credit exceeds what you owe, you receive a check for the difference,” said Senator Harriss. “That turns a paper credit into real relief — dollars that can help cover groceries, utilities, or prescription costs.”
Harriss also introduced Senate Bill 3782 to create the Fairness in Property Tax Foreclosure Task Force. This group will look at reforming Illinois’ property tax foreclosure system after it was ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Under current law, unpaid property taxes can result in homes being sold to investors and families losing both their homes and any equity built over time.
Senator Harriss stated that the task force aims to reform this system responsibly while protecting homeowners’ accumulated wealth.
A University of Illinois study found that home prices in Illinois have risen by 37 percent over five years; however, increases are not reflected in the state’s General Homestead Exemption.
In response, Leader Curran filed Senate Bill 3849 to tie annual increases in this exemption to inflation using Consumer Price Index data so homeowners could see more immediate relief aligned with rising costs.
Leader Curran also addressed rising homeowners insurance premiums—up more than 25 percent for many residents over the past year—by introducing Senate Bill 3848. This bill would allow taxpayers an income tax deduction based on their year-over-year increase in home insurance costs.
“We need a holistic approach that includes real, long-term property tax reform if we want to make purchasing and owning a home more affordable in Illinois,” said Leader Curran. “However, these solutions would help bring costs down right away to support families while we work for greater change.”
Curran has served as senator since his election in 2017 representing Illinois’ 41st District after succeeding Christine Radogno.
The press conference announcing these measures is available online at https://youtu.be/IAg0YyqfyGI.
