Young’s bipartisan bill helps tackle affordable housing need

Certain grantees would be required to submit a plan to track discriminatory land use policies under a bipartisan bill sponsored last week by U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), who thinks localities should do their part to help make housing more affordable during the nation’s housing affordability crisis.

“Discriminatory local zoning and land use policies drive up housing costs in communities across America,” Sen. Young said. “These policies exacerbate the housing affordability crisis and stifle the ability of Americans to move to areas of opportunity.”

Sen. Young said that the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, S. 1614, would “require cities, towns and rural areas across America to face this reality under a new level of transparency and encourage them to cut these harmful regulations.”

Sen. Young on May 13 introduced S. 1614 with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) to shed light on discriminatory land use policies, encourage localities to cut burdensome regulations, and bring a new level of transparency to the community development process, according to a bill summary submitted by Sen. Young’s staff. 

If enacted, S. 1614 would require Community Development Block Grant recipients to publicly explain why they are not adopting specific pro-affordability and anti-discriminatory housing policies, the summary says. 

The legislation has received widespread support from more than 250 organizations, including the National Multifamily Housing Council, Up for Growth Action, the National Apartment Association, the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity, the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, and many others.

According to Sen. Young’s staff, S. 1614 would not encroach on states’ rights because it does not tell localities what policies to implement, rather it requires them to detail their rationale for choosing not to cut harmful land use regulations.