U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) has introduced a new law that picks sides in the housing debate, though the law is unlikely to produce structural change in the development process the near future.
A press release from the office of U.S. Senator Todd Young announced the introduction of the "Yes In My Back Yard Act" [pdf] late last week, aiming "to shed light on discriminatory land use policies, encourage localities cut [sic] burdensome regulations, and bring a new level of transparency to the community development process."
To achieve that effect, the YIMBY Act "would require Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recipients to go on the record with why they are not adopting specific pro-affordability and anti-discriminatory housing policies," according to the press release.
The adoption for the YIMBY moniker by a Republication lawmaker at the national level isn't unprecedented. U.S. Housing and Development Department Secretary Ben Carson has adopted YIMBY stances on several occasions. Senator Young has also shown support for federal housing programs in the past.
The Federal YIMBY Act Makes Progress in the House
A federal bill intended to increase transparency in land use and zoning decisions as well as encourage localities to eliminate barriers to housing has advanced out of a House of Representative committee.
Five Years of California’s Landmark Land Use Law, SB 35
It’s been five years since the California Legislature approved Senate Bill 35 to clear hurdles to housing construction. How much of its intentions has the law accomplished, and what should planners look for in the next few years?
How Federal Policy Can Support More Affordable Housing in Exclusionary Communities
The recently funded “Yes In My Back Yard” federal grant program provides support for local and state governments to implement housing policy reforms, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the exclusionary practices of wealthy communities.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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