As the costs of elderly care and housing continue to rise, State Rep. Jed Davis, R- Yorkville, introduced a bill to put decisions regarding family care under one roof.

Davis filed the Family First Housing Act, saying that any family should be able to provide care and lodging for their aging parents without unnecessary “government or homeowners’ association restrictions.”

“There comes a point in life where many parents who once cared for us may someday need us to care for them,” Davis said in a news release. “For generations, families looked after one another, lived close together, and carried burdens together. Government should not stand in the way of a son or daughter wanting to keep mom or dad close to home.”

Davis said ensuring aging parents have the opportunity to remain close to children and grandchildren maintains their “dignity, family connection and independence.”

He said this type of care is currently hampered by “nursing care expenses, restrictive local rules, and rising housing costs.”

The bill would allow owner-occupied residential properties to contain one accessory dwelling unit for a qualifying parent of the homeowner or the homeowner’s spouse.

The bill further prohibits these living dwellings from being used as rental and short-term rental properties.

Davis said the proposed bill “preserves local authority” over building safety, fire codes, and reasonable construction standards, all while preventing bans on “family care units.”

“Many families simply want the freedom to create a small apartment above a garage, an in-law suite, or a dwelling where aging parents can remain near the people who love them most,” Davis said. “As lawmakers, we spend a lot of time talking about strengthening families. This bill is a chance to actually do it.”

You can learn more about House Bill 5791, including following the bill’s current status, by visiting, legiscan.com/IL/bill/HB5791/2025.