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  • Home
  • HBAI
    • By-Laws
    • Executive Officers
    • 2023 HBAI Board of Directors
    • HBAI Staff
    • Member Benefits
    • Reasons to Join
    • Join HBAI
    • Blog
    • Contact
  • Members
    • Local HBA’s
    • Locate Local HBA’s by County
    • Map of HBA’s
    • Member Benefits
    • Educational Opportunities
    • HBAI Talk
      • 2019 Talk
        • Healthcare Survey for Members
      • Talk 2018
        • Things Learned at the Builders Show
        • Board of Directors Meeting @ IBS 2018 Pictures
        • HBAI Reception at IBS
      • Talk 2017
        • Advocacy Leadership Award
        • HBAI on a Mission
        • Housing Hall of Fame Inductees 2017
        • Builder Member Rebates
  • Government Affairs
    • State Laws You Should Know
      • Introduction to State Laws You Should Know
      • Illinois Recreational Cannabis Law Effective January 1, 2020
      • Employee Business Expense Reimbursements 2019
      • Farmland Preservation
      • Home Repair & Remodeling Act
      • Illinois Building Code Freeze
      • Illinois Energy Conservation Code
      • Implied Warranty Law
      • Interest Paid on Certificates of Error
      • Model Home Act
      • Illinois Building Code Freeze
      • Passive Radon Systems
      • Proportionate Property Improvement Valuations – “Pro-Rata Valuations”
      • Public Construction Bonds
      • Septic System Turf Battle
      • Vacant Lot Act
    • HomePAC
    • HBAI Speaker
      • 2022 Speaker Topics
        • January Update
      • 2021 Speaker Topics
        • HBAI OPPOSES MANDATES FOR ELECTRIC CAR CHARGERS & THE STRETCH ENERGY CODE
        •   Home Builders Survive Union Ambush
        • HBAI OPPOSES SB2896 – CAR CHARGERS & STRETCH ENERGY CODE
        • 2021 State Energy Code Price Tag – $10,000 Per Home
      • 2020 Speaker Topics
        • ComEd Deadline to Grandfather Existing Subdivisions/Developments
        • Vote No on the Progressive Tax
        • End of Session Report
        • Session Update 5/20/2020
        • Home Builders Oppose Car Charger Mandate
        • WCC Repeals Work Comp for COVID-19
        • COVID-19 Added to Work Comp Claims
        • Pandemic Housing Issues
        • Home Construction Deemed Essential!
        • Sticker Shock!!!
      • 2019 Speaker Topics
        • Senate Holds Hearing on Subcontractor Failure-to-Pay Bill
        •  2019 Illinois General Assembly Highlights  —  Part II
        • 2019 Illinois General Assembly Highlights — Part I
        • Oppose HB2838 — General Contractors held liable for Subs’ Employee Wages
        • March Madness in Springfield
        • Legislative Committee Begins Its Work
      • 2018 Speaker Topics
        • End of Session Wrap UP
        • General Assembly Approaching Adjournment
        • HBAI to Oppose County Recorders Legislation
        • Lobby Day Harvest Housing Victories
        • HBAI Lobby Day a BIG Success!
        • More Labor Bills – More Anti-Business Legislation – More Regulation
        • Home Builders Prepare to Defend the Public Construction Bond Act
        • HBAI Spring Session Report
        • HELOCS Deductible for Capital Improvements, IRS Says
        • Home Building & Remodeling Once Again Under Attack in Springfield
        • Board Meeting, Installation Banquet & Veto Session
        • Election Night Projections 2018
        • Vote Now for a Home Builder Hero
        • Veto Session in Springfield
        • Four Favors
        • HBAI Takes on the Tasks at Hand
        • HomePAC – IBS – Associate Member Appreciation Month
        • Last Chance for the Century Ride Pledge Drive
        • HBAI Mid-Year Report
        • End of Session Wrap UP
        • Board Meeting, Installation Banquet & Veto Session
      • 2017 Speaker Topics
    • Voter Voice
  • Calendar of Events

Home Construction Deemed Essential!

Bill Ward, Executive Vice President

Home Builders Association of Illinois

Illinois will be a “Stay At Home” state beginning March 21, 2020 at 5 pm. Governor J.B. Pritzker issued his 10th Executive Order of 2020 on March 20th in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that has already claimed 5 lives in Illinois in the short time that it has been apparent in Illinois. 585 cases were recorded on March 20, 2020 as well.

An Executive Order serves as state law in the absence of a state statute or a constitutional requirement addressing the same matter.

Illinoisans are hereby ordered “Stay at home or place of residence…with exceptions as outlined below (section 1, paragraph 1).

Section 9 of the Executive Order addresses “Essential Infrastructure.” This part of the Order allows individuals to leave their residence to provide any services or perform any work necessary to offer, provision, operate, maintain, and repair Essential Infrastructure.

The second paragraph defines Essential Infrastructure, it is a long list and includes housing construction as essential.

The last paragraph states that “Essential Infrastructure shall be construed broadly to avoid any impacts to essential infrastructure, broadly defined.”

So, what this means is that we are still in business and you can also interpret that to mean that your material providers, subcontractors, and others services needed in the course of providing housing construction, repair, and remodeling should stay open, too.

But none of this will do us any good unless local governments keep open their building departments to do inspections on new construction, repair, and remodeling. To this end, we need to read and understand Section 10: “Essential Government Functions.”

Paragraph 1 of Section 10 lists the Essential Government Functions. The paragraph does not state “Building Departments” but does say that personnel for housing and shelter are essential.

Section 10 also states that local government employees working for or to support Essential Businesses and Operations are categorically exempt from this Executive Order (to stay at home).

To find out if we are an essential business or operation, we need to go to Section 12: “Essential Businesses and Operations.”

Section 12 lists the Essential Businesses and Operations needed to be exempt from the Executive Order to “Stay at Home.”

Paragraph “f” allows lending institutions, title companies and other institutions selling financial products to stay open.

Paragraph “g” allows hardware stores and businesses that sell electrical, plumbing, and heating material to stay open.

Paragraph “h” allows critical trades to stay open including: Building and Construction Tradesmen and Tradeswomen, and other trades including but not limited to plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff for commercial and governmental properties, security staff, operating engineers, HVAC, painting, moving and relocation services, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, Essential Activities, Essential Businesses and Operations.

And, if you are still cynical that we are still in business, maybe it would be comforting to note that bicycle, pawn, and cannabis shops are deemed essential, too!

But our work is not done; word now needs to get out to our municipal officials that home construction, remodeling and repair is essential and the building departments at the city and county levels must stay open and functioning all of the duties required to permit construction and occupancy.

Our local association executives and state board members are already communicating with building departments and most of the news has been good. Building departments are open and are requesting that you clean up and clear out prior to them entering the worksite.

At this time, I know of only one building department that has shut down, that is the city of Springfield. HBAI Past President, Dean Graven, is working now with city officials to reverse this unilateral decision made by the head of the department.

Below is a link to the Executive Order for you to read, if you have any questions or concerns, please call my cellphone at (217) 494-8143 or write me at billward@hbai.org for more information. As it turns out, registered state lobbyists are not essential and must stay home!

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About us

The HBAI is the watchdog for builders, contractors, developers and all those involved in home building across Illinois. We work hard to keep legislation and regulatory action favorable to the industry--and especially to how it affects our members' bottom lines. We keep you informed, connected, and aligned with the best the state has to offer - including ongoing certification and affinity programs, our annual Lobby Day, and opportunities to serve on our board or in other capacities. Let us know when and how you are ready to get involved.

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