Lindsey Higgins, a Biggsville resident, wife of Josh Higgins, who is running for state representative in Illinois’ 94th district, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s push to expand federally subsidized housing across Illinois ignores the realities of rural communities that have long cared for their neighbors in ways that reflect their faith and values.
“As people of faith, we believe deeply in caring for our neighbors and helping those who are struggling,” Higgins told the Galesburg Reporter. “Rural communities have always taken that calling seriously. Churches, families, and neighbors step in to help one another in ways that reflect the love of Christ and the values we share.”
Pritzker’s proposal would require every community in Illinois to open its residential lots to unlimited taxpayer-subsidized Section 8 and low-income apartment buildings, tearing through local zoning protections that have shaped neighborhoods for generations.
The plan would also pour an additional $100 million in taxpayer funding into the Illinois Housing Development Authority for subsidized apartment construction, compel communities to house state-placed residents with serious mental illness, and concentrate zoning power in the hands of Springfield rather than the people who actually live in those communities.
Backers call it a step toward modernization, while critics describe it as a “Chicago-style” overreach that forces a one-size-fits-all housing agenda onto communities that never asked for it.
Higgins said programs like Section 8 were built with urban environments in mind and simply do not translate to the rural communities of the 94th district.
“Programs like Section 8 were largely designed for urban settings and often do not fit the realities of rural communities like those here in the 94th district of Illinois,” she said. “Our towns have limited housing availability, fewer landlords, and far less infrastructure to administer large federal housing programs. When policies are created far from our communities, they can sometimes overlook the unique challenges and strengths of rural life.”
Illinois families already pay more in property taxes than residents of any other state, and those who oppose the plan argue it amounts to a taxpayer-funded ideological project handed down from above without the input of the communities it would reshape.
Researchers at the Heritage Foundation have long argued that importing federally subsidized housing into areas not built to absorb it drives up costs for taxpayers and brings the pressures of urban housing markets into communities that were never designed to handle them.
Higgins said the path to lasting change in rural Illinois runs through families, local jobs and community-based support, not government mandates.
“In the 94th district, we believe the most lasting solutions come through strengthening families, supporting local job opportunities, and encouraging community-based help that restores dignity and independence,” she said. “The goal should always be to lift people up while also preserving the values and stability that make rural communities so special.”
Questions about oversight of the federal housing programs at the center of the proposal have also intensified. HUD auditors have found billions of dollars in housing assistance paid out to ineligible recipients, including people who had already died and individuals who did not meet program requirements.
Under existing federal policy, households that include illegal immigrants can also qualify for subsidized housing benefits, according to the New York Post.
Higgins said genuine compassion requires policies that empower people rather than make them dependent on government programs.
“Faith teaches us that compassion and responsibility go hand in hand,” she said. “We want policies that truly serve people well, policies that empower individuals, support families, and allow communities to care for one another in ways that reflect both wisdom and grace.”
The proposal has also drawn attention to the developers aligned with its goals. Full Circle Communities, which purchased land from the Village of Glen Ellyn to build a subsidized housing project on Roosevelt Road, has organized its programming around commitments to “health equity,” “racial equity” and “trauma-informed services,” with a focus on LGBT youth and young adults of color.
The project has the backing of U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., a self-described democratic socialist and member of the progressive Squad who has made expanding Section 8 and public housing into suburban and rural communities a priority. Ramirez represents Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District, which includes several suburban communities.
Some housing policy observers point to New York City as a warning of where this kind of agenda can lead. Housing activist Cea Weaver, installed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to run the city’s Office to Protect Tenants, has branded private property a “weapon of white supremacy” and called for wresting control of buildings away from their owners.
In the wake of that appointment, New York City has moved to impose sharp property tax increases, freeze rents and give certain nonprofits priority purchase rights over private residential buildings, moves that critics say threaten to drive small property owners into foreclosure or bankruptcy.
Higgins said the future of rural Illinois depends on policies that honor the values and self-reliance that have always defined communities like hers.
“Our rural communities were built on faith, hard work, and neighbors helping neighbors, not one-size-fits-all solutions from far away,” she said. “If we want the 94th district of Illinois to stay strong for the next generation, we must pursue policies that strengthen families, respect local communities, and encourage people to rise, work, and thrive together.”
Detractors argue the plan would hand Springfield sweeping control over local housing decisions, threatening property values and undermining the community character that draws families to suburban and small-town Illinois in the first place.
Higgins is a Biggsville resident, wife and mother, and wedding planner at The Barn at Fairview Acres in Biggsville. She is the wife of Josh Higgins, who is running for state representative in Illinois’ 94th district.
