U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) earlier this month introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to discourage the use of discriminatory land use policies and remove barriers that hinder affordable housing across America.
“Having a safe and stable home helps create safe and stable lives for families,” said Rep. Hollingsworth, noting that the bill “incentivizes the removal of barriers and burdensome, restrictive land use policies to help Hoosiers access affordable housing and build better lives for themselves.”
Rep. Hollingsworth on May 13 signed on as the original cosponsor of the Yes In My Backyard Act, H.R. 3198, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and nine other cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) on the same day introduced the companion measure, S. 1614.
“Our nation had challenges with housing before this pandemic and those challenges have only been exacerbated by it,” Rep. Kilmer said. “We need more workforce housing, more senior housing, more homeless housing, and more affordable housing. We need more housing units, period.”
If enacted, the bill would require local governments applying for federal housing development funds through the Community Development Block Grant program to report whether they have enacted land use policies to reduce regulations that may affect affordability, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Hollingsworth’s staff.
Such land use policies, according to the text of the bill, would include: enacting high-density single-family and multifamily zoning; allowing duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes; allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes; permitting multifamily development in retail, office and light manufacturing zones; creating transit-oriented development zones; and streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timelines, among other items.
The measure is endorsed by almost 200 organizations, including AARP, Up for Growth Action, the American Planning Association, Habitat for Humanity International, the Manufactured Housing Institute, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, the National Apartment Association, the National Association of Home Builders, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and dozens of state, regional and local groups.